The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-16

The scarcity of good horses, which is COM
ing to attract more and more attention as
the markets are advancing preparation for
post-harvest trade. has been the means of
suggesting a number of methods by which
the deficiency may be supplied. The first In
the line of Importance is the increased breed
ing. The smaller farmers in some locali les
are anxious to begin, but they are in doubt
as to just how 10 go about it. Meanwhile
a new idea has been generated by which colts
bred ranges may be gathered up and
reared the farm on the same principle
that cattle born on the range are taken ty
farmers in this and other markets and pre-
pared for sac in the feed lois. The Breeders
Gazette of the current week discusses the
matter as follows:
FARAI-RAISING OF RANGE-BRED COLTS.
The idea that the range Is the breeding
ground and the Central West the feeding
ground of our marke. supplies OF cattle and
sheep seems to be aging firm hold on many
stockmen. who trying to discern the
signs of the times, This idea has also found
lodgment III a number of minds that are
concerned with the problem of our flu
ture supply of horses. Horse-breeding on the
range was undertaken on a grand scale, with
the expectation tfat 1t could be made sue
cesstu. on account of the low cost and The
healthful conditions. The theory was found
correct, far the breeding concerned,
bred rangemen have discovered that their
theory fails. Moreover, the brands that
horses bear have handicapped them heavily
in the markets. This fact has been repeated
ly pointed out. brand is counted an in
dsputabe evidence of a wild, untamahle
vicious horse, ard not only exporters hut
buyers for our own government service have
Disseminated against branded horses. This
handicap on top of the stunning which colts
suffer during their first winter the range
has operated against the financial success Of
horse breeding on the range.
II viii be remembered that as result Of the
investigation which Secretary of Agriculture
Wilson gave this subject last summer he de-
clared that ranchmen must provide feed fer
their colts the first winter, instead of leav-
ing them to rustic with the matured stock
In other words. the problem on the range was
not the breeding, but the growing of the
colts. The solution of this problem was more
than limited at by the success that has at
tended the shipment OF range-hred calves and
lambs to Western feed-lots, there to be fin
ished on liberal rations. The question nat
urally suggested itself to those in touch with
the problem. Why cannot the range-bred
colts be taken at the roundup before the
branding-iron has been applied and shipped
to farms in the Central West to be grown
and broken for market? R. B. ogilvie, whose
experience with the feeding of range lambs
and sheep at the Trevor yards, of the Wis
consin Central railroad, is very satisfactory
has been earnest in his advocacy of a trial
of this plan and succeeded in impressing Prof
Curtiss and Prof. Craig of the Iowa agri-
cultural college, with the Importance of the
subject, so that It may now be announced
that this plan will be given a thorough test
at Ames. Prof. Curtiss, armed with letters
OF introduction to number of horse breeders
in Colorado and Wyoming, mas been spending
two weeks in the Northwest for the purpose
of contracting for the delivery of carload
OF range-bred colts at weaving time next
November, to be shipped to the college farm
and there wirtered and grown until ready for
market, and the plan of farm-rasing of
range-bred colts Will thus be given thor
ough test. It is the intention to secure high
grade draft, coach and roadster colts. Much
interest will attend this experiment
The suggestion is a novel as well as an
interesting one, and there is no apparent rea-
son why the tests should not prove as salts
factory as in the case of feeding and fatten-
ing cattle for the market