Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-09-19
Plans Of Ames College Experts
in Breeding Distinct American
Draft Horse Are Practical
TYPE WILL BRING HIGHER PRICE
Faults Of Other Breeds to Be Over
come = English Drafters Good Pull
ers But Poor Travelers-Work May
Take Ten Years or Forty = Iowa's
College First to Undertake Work.
Special to rimes-Repub,ican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Sept. 19.-Experiments
that have been undertaken at the Iowa
State Agricultural College in the line
of developing a distinctly American
breed Of draft horses is not leap in
the dark, as many people surmise, with
nothing but doubts as to the results.
The big team that Armour has been
capturing all the sweepstakes prizes
with is an American bred team thru
out, and while they are called Per-
cherons there is not pure blood Per-
cheron in the team.
This statement is made on the au-
thority of Professor Curtiss, dean of
agriculture, and director of the exper-
iment station of the college. America
has done much in developing breeds of
animals that are particularly suited to
this country. 1t developed the Ply
mouth Rock chicken and some others.
1t developed the red polled cattle, and
has improved some other breeds. 1t
developed the Poland China hog. and
has not been entirely behind on
horses.
The fundamental reasons for dis
tinctly American breed of horses is
that horse of the type that is wanted
in America brings the highest price.
Professor Curtiss bought for Kansas
parties on their orders horse at one
Of the sales at the state fair grounds,
and paid $3.50 for It, The Kansas par
ties have standing offer of the
same price for one that will match it,
with an extra premium OF 800 ad-
ditional The horse was an American
bred horse.
The English horse is massive and
heavy but no traveller tho 1t can pull.
In developing the breed to get the
shoulder nearly straight up and down
SO as to make a good surface for the
collar the English have spoiled their
horse for q traveller, The shoulder be-
ing straight UP and down, there Is no
spring, and Shire stumps along.
Furthermore, the rear quarters always
have the same slope as the front quar-
tiers. This gives the horse too much
of dropped of effect.
Il The Scott Clydesdale has good ac-
ton, its shoulders having more of a
slope, but 1t does not have the mas
sive frame of the Shire. The Percher-
on is too light limbed and not as large
and massive as either, and the Bel
gian% is too, short and chunky.
According to Professor C,irtiss, there
lare many horses In America that APP
proach the type that it is proposed to
make distinctly American, but the
breed has not been established. The
six horse team that Armour has toured
Europe with is mixture of the STAN
dard breeds, mostly Percheron and
Clyde.
The length of time that it will take
to develop this breed of horses and
get it firmly established is uncertain.
tt may take ten years, and it may take
forty. The breed will never be devel-
soped In Europe, tho the American idea
of an ideal draft horse would be bet
ter suited to the purposes of Euro
5peans than the draft horses that they
have. The trouble is that Europe is
welded to it's idols. The English and
Scotch are especially stubborn, and
each thinks it has the best horses pos
sible to secure.
The Iowa Agricultural College is the
only one In America that is working on
the development of draft horse. Col
orado is working on a coach horse
Other states could take advantage of
the congressional appropriation if they
would, but none have. Iowa has start
ed, and the government will always
look to the Iowa college experimental
station as the leader in the work. If
other colleges should take it up they
will all work to the same pattern, and
the more colleges that take it up the
sooner the breed will be established.
. =
The next meeting of the Iowa Fra
ternal congress will be held in this
city. This was decided when delegates
from other towns waived all claims on
the meeting for their city inasmuch
as Des Moines is the most centrally
located city.
No entertainment or social features
whatever were provided for the dele
gates to the conference just closed, but
next year the entertainment committee
has promised there will be many little
doings on the side.
Between $4,000 and $4,000 was
made by the last state fair, according
to the final figures made by Secretary
Simpson and Treasurer Elyson. The
receipts were approximately 100000
and the expenses about $4,000. Had
there been good weather 1t is believed
the fair would have made $4,000 net
this year.
THEY HAZE AT AMEs.
Unpleasant limitations in Vogue De.
spite Sentiment Against Il.