Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-11-04
Value OF GOOD HORSES.
Advantage Of Breeding in the Raising
Of Horses on the Western ~
.5.&% s,sl4&s Range Lands. y ~: 4 s.
Value of Good Stock, and Compare
tive Cheapness of Cost in Rails.
..sg ing Good Animals. =

The rapid increase OF the cattle graz
ing and feeding industry that extends
throuhout nearly. if not quite all the
slope country, seems to have given rise
Ito fear that the sources of winter
forage will coon become seriously en-
croached upon if not entirely ex-
hausted. ".~. '.~ e ri > -
While the high values that have OBJ
tanned for the past half dozen YEARS
for all meat producing animals, coupled
with the superior graziig and feeding
Facilities that prevail in the territory
mentioned have combined to greatly
stimulate the cattle and sheep grazing
industries, and the numbers of such
animals that are kept on our farms and
ranches have increased about fifty fold
during the past decade, there is still
room for many more.
Still should we be confronted by
such an contingency as is mentioned in
the opening paragraph, attention could
and doubtless would be directed to
the production of horses, which are
said to require less range, for the rea-
son that they crop the grass much
closer and eat with relish many kinds
of grasses that cattle will not touch.
Then again, when it comes to winter
feed, while cattle and sheep must be
carefully housed and fed, when the
ranges are covered with snow, MEM
bers of the genus equine will not only
find their own forage by paving away
the snow, but will thrive and grow fat
on the grasses that have been cured
after attaining maturity, and are
thus much more nutritious than grass
cut while green and cured for hay.
Of course the succession of the horse
car by the more modern electric trolley
has closed the market of the small
horse Of inferior quality; but the light
horse OF symmetrical conformation and
stylish action, when properly broken
and hammered, was never in more ac-
tive demand Or of greater value than
now. In fact quality is the great de-
cideratum in large or small horses. as
in any other commodity of commerce.
In making a comparison in the mat
ter of cost of feed and care of the two
kinds of stock-horses and cattle-it
is found that a. horse can be kept until
5-year-old aIt a somewhat less cost
than steer at three years old. To be
sure the dam of the horse has cost
much more than that of the steer, and
the sire relatively still more; but the
product of the former will sell for
nearly or quite double that of the lat
ter
A very close observer in matters per-
tanning to the production Of horses in
the northwest is auth ority for the state
ment that during the past decade, dur
ing the major portion of which the
horse industry suffered from extensive
depression in values, small interest has
been taken in the selection of sires,
particularly with respect to draft
breeds, and mares have gone to the
service Of inferior sires. During the
past four years this has not been due
to any lack of awakening of interest
in the business, but because the prices
OF good sires have been thought to be
too high by owners of brood mares,
and would go lower. No greater mis-
take could possibly have been made.
When the great depression in values
ensued which followed the panic of '92,
not only were many highly bred and
promising colts that would have grown
into sires of great value under other
circllms stances sacrificed to the SUR
geon's knife, but there was cessation
in breeding of this class OF horses as
well as all others. And now that the
interest in breeding is awakening the
supply is nowhere near adequate to the
demand. 5zs. 3Z% g$ys45 J! ,z. sE5}s 81
59ss As ipstaneing something of the value
set upon good horses IN country
where, owing to the high cost Of food
5staiffs tonly pays TO produce the best,
g quotation Is made from the Breeders
tsazette Shire horses are high in
price IN England A month ago Mr.
Fred Grip disposed Of fis entire stud
at public auction. with the result thai
the total offering os forty-five head
made NJ an ayerage off ssT6 This in
Eelnded stall lions, mares. fillies. colts and
sfoais nine sof the last named young
sters making an average price of $3.50,
The highest price paid for a mare was
S4 ss75 for the champion mare south-
gate Charm Girton