The Somerset reporter., 1896-11-05
Horses in Somerset.

secretary MCkeen OF the Maine
Board of Agriculture publishes the follow
ing in his Bulletin No. as received from
Somerset County Correspondents, relative
to raising horses;
j Anson-The horse industry Of the State
is vet, and will always be, OF Importance.
The horse has always been the fayorite
domestic animal of man, and future pros
pect for good fair paying prices is predict
ed by those we'll versed in horse markets
of the country It'll safe to raise good. sz-
ed driving horse, if it possesses the right
speed and action, or heavy work horse,
if he has strength and form. In either
case it must be the best of its kind. Mar
i gins for profit are small in every business
connected with farming. The cost of
production enters into the stock business
as much as into manufacturing. In some
of the old countries the farmer does his
work with colts from two to four years old
and sells as soon as matured, and will
bring the highest price. Cannot this
method be put in force here to advantage,
rather than to feed the produces of our
i labor TO old horses that are growing of
less value every year, This question of
economy Of feed is as important as econo-
my of breed, and taking the two together
| think it a subject for a volume, rather
than an item for a report, but at all hazards
the farmer must raise the colt, or the cost
will exceed the market prlce.
GEORGE FLINT, (Member.)
Solon- Should think the breeding of
heavy draft horses by farmers, providing
they nave the right kind of breeding
mares to breed from, would be a good in
vestment. There are too many small
horses and not enough heavy ones in this
State. The majority of the mportations Of
horses are the large draft horses, which
shows there is a demand for them, where
the small class can hardly be given away !;
therefore should say that the extending of
the industry for arge breeds would be
favorable to farmers. And let men that
have lots of money and no work to per
| form, raise trotters. As to feeding, think
that a colt raised until he is four years old
that will weigh fourteen hundred pounds,
will cost but trihe more than one weigh
ing nine hundred pounds, and in some
cases not so much, and the former will
find a ready sale at good price. and the
latter has eaten his head off. As to the
weight of farm horses, different men need
different teams. 1t should be anywhere
from twelve hundred up. The cost Of
keeping a large team is little more than
that OF keeping small one to do the same
work. O. B. KEENE.
Palmyra-I believe Maine can raise, and
should raise, the different classes Of horses
required for home use. Think the class
Of horses for road purposes should weigh
about ten hundred, for farm uses about
the same. For heavy road work, from
twelve to fourteen hundred, and think
farmers should produce those classes in
sufficient numbers to meet the demand,
and not send our money West to buy
heavy horses. believe our colts should
be kept in growing and healthy condition
from the time they are dropped till they
arrive at maturity. They should never
be "broken," but should be educated care
fully, and constantly, while coming to
maturity, They should never be over
worked or driven, but kept full of courage
and ambition. so that when extra service
is required they will have a reserve force,
and be ready to respond.
J. p LONGLFY.
Harmony think the horse industry
might be extended to the extent of raising
our own horses at least | am a firm be-
lever in home raised stock of all kinds.
The class OF Western horses brought into
our markets are no good on the road, and
are too slow even for farm use. My ideal
farm team would be pair of active,
Maine raised horses. that would weigh
about eleven hundred pounds each. Such
team will do more work on the farm
than a much heavier pair, and might be
good for eight miles an hour on the road,
There must be demanc soon for good
road horses. There are no colts raised
in this vicinity. The assessors found
only two yearlng colts in this town when
taking the inventory last spring.
WILLIAM G.. BAILEY.
Skowhegan--ln this town very few
colts have been raised for the last two
years. but there has been large number
of heavy horses brought here and sold to
lumbermen and farmers, such horses as
weigh from twelve hundred to fifteen hun
bred pounds, which is about the weight
that is now wanted for heavy work. am
sorry TO say that there are but very few
of that class raised in this vicinity.
john WESTON
"Cunued" the "Con" Man,