The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-05-19

Tue great morse ranges OF the West i
are beginning 10 improve the quality /
OF their stock II Is being found hard 70 /
dispose OF common range animals, and /
easy 10 dispose OF animals containing
, good deal OF imported blood. As a
result. the breeders OF good horses are
nnding an ever-Inproving market
among the owners OF the great droyes
that feed on the western plains. Dur
Ing meeting OF horsemen In Chicago
Mr. II. Z. Fletcher Of Minnesota was
called on FOR few remarks as 10 west
ern range horses lie said that he had
been engaged In the business for about
sixteen years As far back as 1852 be
saw that the time was coming when
the market would no longer pay a
good price for horses brought up on
the range. unless those horses had In
them better breeding than is usual
with that kind OF horses. he had az
first bought about 300 mares. which he
increased In subsequent years 10 about
1000. He also bought some fine Per-
cheron stations and used them for
three years. After that he put In some
Shire stations. and has been breeding
with them In conjunction with the
Percherons. His horses are divided
into a number Of droyes. and with
some be uses the Shire stations and
with others the Percheron stations.
He frequently makes a change In this
regard. When he sees the hairy feet
getting numerous In a drove be puts
In Percherun stations. aud when he
sees a drove becoming very pro-
nounced Percheron he puts In shires.
endeavoring TO keep the breeding as
near cross between the Pereherons
and shires as possible. After using
these hlooded stations on the native
mares for these years be has large
number OF very fine horses. Weighing
when they are ready to leave the range
about l. 400 10 1900 pounds each ana
standing from ISL to i6i5 hands high.
These animals. II taken at this time
by the eastern breeder and fed Win
proper ratlons, including grain can
be made to weigh $500 pounds each
This result cannot be obtained on tn'
exclusive grass diet OF the range.
Many farmers are now purchasing
these animals to develop into large
and valuable horses. Some want them
before hey are one year OF age 50
that thu can be had before the brand
has been applied. But Mr.. Fletcher
believes that none should be sold be-
fore that age, as the range can carry
them thrcrgh the first year at lesi
cost and safer than is the case II The
colt Is taken into other hands. Few
colts are lost on the range, and more
are brought to maturity than In ans
other condition.
This opens up a wide field. We have
thought that the range must cease Il
be a factor In our economy for IN
reason that the poor stock Il produce
will no longer find 4 market But ~
now see that the process Of breedin
up has been going on for a number o
. years. We will wake up some morn
ing TO the realization that our wester
ranges are producing nothing but IN
blooded stock. This process Is likel
to 20 on much faster In the west tina
with u.s. for the reason that the range
are largely In the hands OF men tina
| have an abundance Of capital and an
always watching for the dritt OF III
commercial tide. The conditions max
I US consider two questions. that OF CON
e petition with our own horse breeder
E aud that OF an extensive market 10
. flrst-claSs breeding males.