The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-30

There is undoubtedly going to be, in the
near future, a big demand for horses, but
meanwhile the horse breeders of the North
west ought not TO lose their heads and
20 into the business on too extravagant
scale. Mr.. James j. Hill said to the writer
several weeks ago. when the rise in the value
Of horses, as reflected through market reports,
began to attract attention, that the danger
was that too many farmers would incline to-
wards breeding Unfortunately, for the mere
sake of getting and marketing a colt, and
thus overdo the matter, whereas, by breed
ing only the best of horses, and turning at
tention to the raising and fattening of cat
tie. the two industries could go hand in hand
and the price of both classes of live stock
be maintained. Over-production is a frequent
lyrecurring evil in this country in almost
every line of industry, but it does not seem
possible that this condition can easily return
with respect to live stock in view of the de-
pletion Of supplies and herds during the
past half a dozen years.
There are good many things to be learned
by stock breeders at the threshold of the re-
vival Of this great industry, so important
TO the Northwest. The fact has been referred
TO heretofore in this column that the depreca-
ton in the supply of live stock for the mar
kets of the future was likely to result, through
the revival OF breeding, in the supplanting
of scrub stock by the fostering of improved
breeds. Those who contemplate entering into
the breeding of any class of live stock should
understand that much progress has been
made in this country during the past twenty
years and there is not going to be any back
ward movement. The tendency is upward
and not in the direction of mere utility. An
excellent authority, on this very subject of
horse and cattle breeding and the importa-
ton of sires, wisely says: with the re-
vival of the horse industry, the greatest care
should be taken to prevent the introduction
of foreign scrubs for the day of scrub horse
breeding has gone by"
This utterance is reassuring, from an emf
nent source. F. J. Berry, who is W n-known
TO all horsemen, advises that most rigid in
spection be made by the government OF all
imported stations. Several years ago, any
English or French nubbin, so long as he
bore the stamp imported was looked upon
with supreme admiration, even though, had
he remained at home, he would only have
been deemed good enough to lead a huckster
cart or perform treadmill service in a coun-
try wine press. good many scrubs entered
our ports at that time, and their issue is
now distributed over the land. Such was the
then existing craze for imported stock.
America has had to rely for the improve
ment OF its own breeds on Europe, from the
very beginning of the introduction of the
animals into this country, more than 25O
years ago.
The greatest horse producing states are
Icwa and Illinois, and these together, fur
nish approximately so per cent of the re-
ceipts in the Chicago market. Minnesota
supplies about 8 per cent. Kansas and Mis-
souri, are contributors in like amount. 1t
Is fact that the purchasers Of our horses
for export during the past four or five years,
have been the substantial support of prices
The better grades of horses are in demand
by these foreign buyers. The Breeders
Gazette, in classifying the prevailing favorites,
says:
market taken as a whole buy the entire
range Of horses with the exception of the
common grades The purchases of the vari-
Gus countries are generally classified as fol-
lows: France, CLANCY drivers and light
general-purpose horses OF a CLANCY class;
Belgium, the same; Germany, a heavy block
between 1,450 and LOCO lbs; England and
Scotland. extra good chunks 1900 to 1850
lbs, and big strong drivers; Ireland, drivers
Mexico, an extra breezy, medium-sized
driver in matched teams, about 1900 lbs in
weight; Cuba, cheap drivers of small size
The foreign buyers are extremely careful in
making their selections and on this ac-
count are compelled to remain the mar
ket considerable length of time to fill an
order for a certain number of horses of a
specified class. They would much prefer to
buy 100 head in one day and make ship
ment Immediately than to buy few each
day and run the risk of holding them and
paying feed bills while they waiting for
arrivals that are worthy of their considera-
ton. The number of horses taken by for
eign countries is only limited by the supply
OF good ones coming to the market. The
buyers from across the take the cream
OF the receipts, and indeed 1t takes good
horse to attract their attention. Horses in
poor flesh are Stunned by all classes of buy
ers. Fat is an important feature and adds
considerably to the selling price of a horse.
Fat alone will not command high prices nor
change the quality of a horse, but 1t will
increase its sale price from SO to $25 per
head.
The draft horse is unquestionably the COM
ing favorite in the Northwest, as well for the
heavy work of the farm as for profitable sale
in the great cities. A prominent stud owner
recently contributed an article to a London
paper regarding his method of keeping breed
Ing stock of this class. The following extract
ought to be interesting to Wisconsin, Mime
sofa and Northwestern breeders in general,
in view of the growing interest in the industry
and the adaptability of this section to the
breeding of live stock:
Young colts and foals get plenty Of ex-
ercise and rough, ncurishing food in open
fields, whereas older coils and stations are
every day turned loose in a paddock, about
an acre in extent. They are fed according
each animal, from day to day, but care is
always taken to mix fair quantity of
rough food, such as bran or cut hay with
the richer foods, and thus many losses are
avoided. 1t is found as Impossible to feed
horses all in the same way, to the best
advantage, as 1t is found to feed or to man
age men as If they were all cast in the
same mold. The secret of the successful
management Of any stud is (after you have
secured the best of servants at liberal
wages, to be increased by results to give
sufficient and regular exercise good but not
too concentrated food at regular intervals
and a regular supply of rock salt, and to
see that the food is given to each animal
according to his needs and powers Of using
it properly, and not by any hard and fast
rule regulated by what kind or quality some
other horse gets to his advantage Foals
require about five months upon their dams
and, everything considered, l prefer a foai
born about the LIST of May as from that
time 1t can get suitable grass from the
first and be mostly outside. All the anil
mails in my stud are at present doing well.
and | lind that in consequence of the ra-
tfonal treatment they regularly receive
sales made by me turn out profitable tn
purchasers, and that stations let out leave
plenty of foals and go through their seasons
we'll" seasons
st. Paul has two good horse markets III.
Midway and South st. Paul The industry
is growing one in the Northwest and rho
best CT stock finds ready purchasers here.