Arizona republican., 1898-02-16

ment would improve their stock. En- i ergetic men, appreciating the situa-
 tion, and with the foresight which is l conducive to every improvement,
 crossed the ocean and imported for the 1 benefit of the breeders of this coun- try, stallions to improve our stock. As time went on, the purchaser ex- acted more and more from the import CT, as to the size, color and quality of the imported horse and the importer
 was consequently driven to the most
 extreme measures to supply these | wants. He searched the breeding
 countries of Europe and visited the places that were historically famed
 for their valuable sires. He paid pre- m1ums, to the owners of stallions, up-
 on which foreign governments placed their approval and permitted to stand
 for their mares.
 After the importation of horses from Europe began, the improvement was marked for many years. Millions Of dollars were invested in horses and like those engaged in all other indus tries that are prosperous, people be- came careless. Horses of every de- scription seemed to be in demand, but the rule always prevailed, that the bet ter the horse, the better the price. If however, he breder did not have the horse the purchaser desired, an in ferior animal would suffice, all of which tended to make the breeder careless and forgetful of the future. Mares of certain conformation were bred to sires without taking into con sideration the great principals which always underlie successful and judic- ious breeding.
 The farmer noticed the marked inn provement in the progeny of mares bred to imported stallions, and pleased with his success, increased his stock. until many of the states more than doubled their number of horses with in one decade. During all this time the buyers of the east were becoming educated Modern inventions had ren- dered it possible, and 1 might say practicable, to dispense with the small horse in certain business pursuits, and thus the breeder found, that only the best horses he had raised were in de- mand Then it was, he first com menced to realize the mistake he had made in not exercising more judgment in his breeding, and to pay the first penalty for his carelessness. Horses
  found to have greatly appreciated in price. and the breeder. not realizing the great depreciation that was to fol- low. refused to sell at the prices of fered, thinking the business would again revive, and that the deprecia- ton was but ephemeral and transi- tory Under this delusion, he sold to the purchasers in the eastern market his finest mares. until the farms of the United States had been robbed of the very foundation upon which the great industry of horse breeding must ever rest. As time went on, he found the quality of his horses had deteriorated and almost by inSensible shades we find him drifting from that high dis tinction obtained by careful and Ju- dicious breeding before down to common plane, and neaT1y approach ing the position he had occupied be- fore he began the great undertaking of breeding up his stock.
 During all this time modern inven- tions were lessening the demand for the common horse. Eastern buyers were taking nothing but the better class and leaving the farm the scrub, which was designed at a future day to be not only worthless, but expen- sive property. Thus discouraged the breeder ceased to breed, the value of horses rapidly decreased, the impor tation of good stallions stopped and the great industry which had been so nobly begun. was at it's lowest ebb. Good horses became scarcer and scrubs increased, as they always do. Owners of s.ailions, whose colts had brought thousands upon thousands of dollars, sold their horses for less than such sires could be purchased for in Eu- rope and thus the breeding of good horses in the United States, was for a few years abandoned. The breeder seemed to forget the fact that almost six years are required to raise horse ready for the market and influenced by the conditions with which they were then confronted, they yielded to the influence of the times, forgetting it would always be necessary for the United States to have sufficient num- Der of good horses to carry on it's legitimate business pursuits. Hence after witnessing the rise and decline of the horse breeding industry of the United States, we find ourselves prac- tically in the same position as we were twenty years ago.
 But the existing condition cannot now be avoided It is here, what are we to do with it? I have already eX- pressed my opinion and answered the question as best I can. I feel conf dent American energy will respond in a substantial manner to any future demands which may be made upon it, and that our people, once awakened to the necessity of immediate action, will commence the production of
 horses with renewed v1gor and raise the industry to that important posi- tion it deserves.-C. E. Stubbs, stock growers convention.