Daily Kennebec journal., 1903-08-22
IHE FARM HORSE,
Dr. 1witcheI|'s Interesting Pa
per on the Subject.
DAYS Farmers Must Go Back to Old
Morgan Type.
Always Good Market for the Trappy,
Active Road Horse.


annual report Of the commissioner of
agriculture for 1902, there are few more
interesting than that by DR.. CT. NJ.
IWltcnell of Augusta, upon the sub
1ect OF The Horse for the Farm and
the Farmer" 1t was read by him at
one OF the farmers institutes held last
year. 1t is, in part, as follows:
for nearly score of years a pc
cullar condition has seemed to dwarf
all enthusiasm for horse breeding The
craze 1or speed, in the lottery of hap
hazard breeding, filled the barns with
what had little value when the bubble
burst yet, strange to state, the own
ers OF good brood mares sold as rapid
ly as possible not the trotting bred
colt, which SO often had not a single
requisite of merit, but the brood mare,
the possible fountain head OF revenue.
AS these disappeared, breeding ceased
and the West, gorged, as it was, with
mass of Indifferent stuff, began to
pour its chunks" into our market to
do the work on the farms not possible
TO be done by the native bred horses.
This in brief was the situation
through which we have been passing,
and While the conservative press and
the institute speaker have been urg
ing the breeding with reference to a
famine sure to come, the sight of Il
WeanlinS following it's dam has been u
novelty rather than u most common oc-
currence. The famine came. The fact
Of the great dearth of good road horses
of size, stamina and courage forced it.
nlf l,D
who formerly could find a carload in
any given section, We're forced to pick
up one here and another there, going
over towns and counties, until the
shortage has become so marked that
Would-be purchasers have practically
dropped out of New England and seei
their supply from the ranches of the
far West.
Meanwhile the greatest curse which
could befall our New England agricul-
ture has been met in the dull mcttled,
low headed, SLOW motioned, draft horse
of the prairie. That it can DO fair SER
vice, is faithful and willing there is
no question, but it grew under other
conditions and rs a rule is not fitted to
the bracing, energetic life OF this
tlIilclt. II van Ittllllci IilSl'IIc 4 Ill ltlt
in the farm nor the farmer, and pride
is the one factor which dominates life.
Make the distinction clear and sharp
between the trappy, fast walking, bold
draft horse, walking more than four
miles an hour, and the one already
described. In the one case you c;m
ploW an acre in three to four hours; in
the other it requires from six to eight,
and New England agriculture has no
place today for six to eight-hour ploW-
ing. Too many OK horses are BURDEN
ing our farms which might be en-
riched by trappy prompt, native driV-
ers, and the sooner We get back
towards the old New England product,
the Morgan type of a horse, the sooner
will we find enthusiasm permeating
the atmosphere about the farm home.
AS n promoter of agriculture the high
class road horse has no. SUPERIOR If it
Jerks ono who follows the harrow or
cultivator out Of old habits, it jerks in
the conception of Il larger, free, bet
ter life and this ambition we must
have in these hustling, bustIng days
when every industry is keyed to rapid
motion and competition forces re-
ncWed activity.
Here is the situation which con-
fronts the farmers of Maine, a great
horse famine, Il sharp demand for high
class stock, the certainty that this
must increase for some years, and
breeding well nigh at n Standstill.
Three classes of horses must be taken
into account and the peculiar charac-
tcristics of each distinct type kept
clear in mind in any fair discussion Of
this question. There never Will come
q day when the lover of the large.
noble draft horse of size and quality
will not find profit in breeding to u
choice, pure bred sire. and right here
is II lesson, the force of which is not
appreciated. Other countries have en-
couraged by liberal grants the breed
ing of pure blooled stock. and with us,
in every case where Il we'll selected
male has come into the State he has
left his imprint and materially i'm
proved the quality of the stock in that
section. Certainly it will be found
necessary in the breeding of draft
stock for the future market to rely
upon these we'll bred, carefully select
ed pure bred males, clean in the head
and throat, strong in the neck, straight
in the shoulder, to secure the perfect
fitting collar, broad in the chest, al
lowing not only ample room for lung
and heart capacity but also that power
necessary to sustain Il heavy draft
long in the forearm and short from
knee to ankle and strong in the past
ern. with good quality Of hoof and a
well rounded, symmetrical foot; short
in the back and round in the barrel
square and full in the quarters. This
is the type of horse best fitted for
heavy work. With all this structure
there must also go courage and elias
ticity of movement to insure the high
est service. Here is one extreme in
breeding and it offers an opportunity,
sadly neglected by our farmers. by
which not only our farms may be
stocked with horses of great virtue and
value but in the breeding of these a
ready sale will be secured for all sur
plus animals and at prices satisfactory
to the grower.
At the other extreme let me call your
attention to the race horse type as
clean cut and intelligent in the head,
finer in bone, with more fire in the eye.
longer in the neck, with extremely
sloping shoulders, allowing for that ex-
l..