The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-07
PLAIN EVERYDAY FARMERS
WHAT THEY CAN ACCOMPLISH
IN BREEDING LIVE STOCK

Some Suggestions as to How TO ffo-
ceed with Horses--The POSSIBLE
tiles Open to Beginners Who Pur-
sue Proper Methods-The Small
Farms Are the Nurseries to Which
Dealers Look for Future Supplies.
The plain, everyday farmer is often inclined
TO place low estimate uIon his own ability
to accomplish many things which he sees oth-
ers all around him accomplishing. This is
especially true in connection with the preeu-
ing of good quality of live stock. II Is
probably due, in a large measure, 10 This
self-depreciaton that many farmers seem
disposed to give little or no attention to I'M
proyements In these lines but are, appa: emily,
content TO let what they regard as well
enough alone, and make no effort to advance,
even though advancement is practicable
Every farmer from the nature OF his call
Ing feels II necessary 10 have something on
his Mace In the form of live stock, II may be
cattle hogs or sheep while horses represent
an indispensable auxiliary in his WAX. In
these DAYS of comparative cheapness OF
horses, he can just as easily, and much more
", d
For the farmer of moderate means 1t is de-
slrable TO be possessed of good, sound mares
capable of productive farm work as well as
for breeding purposes. The mating OF such
mares with sires of merit and worth Is prac-
ticable in almost any community. with such
a small beginning as this, even, the "iue-
awake farmer of the most moderate means
will soon find himself accommodating a desifa-
BILE little herd OF horses. And the better the
quality the better the prices returned LOT
them when they are offered upon the market.
That which is true in the case OF horses is
equally true In connection with the other
classes of live stock mentioned. once the
farmer is seized with the determination, not
only ~ breed but to breed in accordance with
the higher standards OF today, rather than TO
the poorer strains of several years ago, the
live stock product OF the country Will soon
show gratifying uniformity in the degree of
Improvement.
But everyone beginning this industry should
20 about it with intelligence and with a
resolution to follow il along the lines OF
economy and care marked out for him by the
experience of others. Very few thrifty and
intelligent farmers would care TO take the
trouble to raise colts that at years Cd would
not yield larger return than, say $50. L. Is
the pursuit of such a course as this thai has
led many a man. who thought he was breed
Ing something of value when he was no..
to encouragement. Now, by giving attention
to the details of properly starting out in the
business, the farmer can just as easily secure
q better breed which, wi h the same amount
of care will give him return OF from Sl5J
to $2OO per head for every animal produced.
He VIII have paid more for the be ter b-ed
mare than for one of the commoner kind. am
no pQS Qf q
somewhat more but there will be no excess
in the amount OF care bestowed upon and the
feed consumed by the better horse than in
the care OF the poorer o.e. II invariably TO-
lows that the poorer grade of ANNA, when
sold, yields no margin of profit, while in the
case of the higher grade of animal the profit
is found to be even liberal, when the total
account comes to be made up.
In the judgment of the most sensible experts
of today, the small farm of the future IS to
be the nursery to which dealers must look
for their supply in the market. write to
the Country Gentleman has this TO say on
the subject of breeding by farme,s:
You have TO idea how we dealers put
TO it to find such animals will please oEc
people. 1t is almost impossible to buy good
green horses now, and. after weeks OF travel
last spring, l came in with only fourteen far
ly good ones. Five years ago, in the same
time, i could nave easily bought five carloads.
One thing that is against US, and yet, IN a
way, is the best thing that could have hap
pened, is the education of the horse-l0ving
public by the horse shows. The buyers know
what they want, and the beauty or it is they
are perfectly willing to pay the price. One
thing that pleased me In my trave.ing was
that l saw lots of young things in the pas
lures. The farmers are now convinced that
the money is still in raising horses. Now is
the time for farmers to secure the proper
mares and raise every year four or five coils.
The time when any kind OF a horse would
bring a good price has gone, never TO return.
There is only money today at the top and
the man who usts his brains in breeding will
find tho market waiting for him and big
prices for what he has to sell. This is as it
should be. The man who studies his subject
breeds ineligently and for the young
sters is the proper one 10 make the money.
This is wholesome advice from an indis-
putably excellent source. In view OF the fact
that many farmers must require their brood
mares to work while with foal, they should
observe certain rules OF treatment. An ex-
change has the following advice regarding
the care of brood mares:
There has been a considerable revival In
horse breeding, and while 1t has not gone
TO the extent that was common some years
ago. of breeding everything that could b.
bred this, this is all the better as 1t insures
smaller supply OF colts and tends TO make
the horse industry reasonably remunera-
tive. With the Increase in breeding comes
the necessity for careful attention 10 the
brood mare. AS the mares are as a ru e.
regularly worked, the manner in which they
are worked becomes important. They 81 ouid
be trusted on.y to careful and reliable driv-
ers, for rough handling of any kind or over
exoriion will be aimcst certain to work in
jury. The single.rees should be longer than
is ordinarily regarded as necessary, and this
becomes especially important as the animals
period progresses Driving over rough places
or where the footing Is bad should also be
done only when necessary. and then with
only extreme care. AS to the feeding, while
1t should be liberia, the feeding stuffs should,
nevertheless, be wisely chosen 1t should not
consis: too entirely OF dry feed as constipa-
ton and torpidity of the liver will Likely re-
suit from this, nor should the feeding be
too laxative. IndiGcstibe food should b,
avoided. and care should be taken that. what
ever the feed it should be good OF its kind
and should not be sour musty, or in any way
fermented. good article of bran is an ex-
cellent feed for the brood mare and with
good hay and oats, and occasiona ly, at least.
mash at night. the feeding is not apt II
be far wrong. Al the same time no hard and
fast rules can be laid down, Blu. coed judg-
ment should control the feeding al, the time.
The giving of drugs and physics of various
kinds should be avoided wherever possible.
and the animals, and especially young mares
should be handled with great care