Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1908-03-20
GREAT OPPORTUNITY
For Addison County. Shall We
Grasp It2


Editor Register:
The old saying that ITO every man
comes once in life time, his great op-
equally true of state or
county.
Never in the state of Vermont and
particularly in Addison county has the
opportunity for acquiring both farm and
property been as certain as today,
The only question with us is, shall we
wake up to the fact and lay hold of it
while it is here, or like the sluggard
lazily let it slip from our grasp because
we lack the ambition (the hustling quail
ities) to grasp it.
Nearly every mature farmer can re.
member the great Merino sheep boom,
when from all over the United States
and from many foreign countries men of
wealth were tiocking to Vermont, and
generally to Addison county, willing and
really anxious to pay fabulous prices for
our beautiful though black sheep. Those
who were wise and quick sighted enough
to breed the sheep with the proper and
up-to.date style, reaped the great har-
vest l recall one Addison county man
who sold in a single year sheep of his
own breeding for $34, 000
A few of our older men can remember
the great Black Hawk boom, when our
elegant horses were the pride of the
country and large sums of money were
lett in this county in exchange for
them. Even to this day-tho' many
years removed-the progeny of Vermont
Black Hawk are sought for far and near.
Today the signs are not hard to read
The United States Government has es
tabished in Addison county farm for
the breeding of Morgan horses, and are
expecting to establish a distinct type of
beautiful carriage horses. To this end
they are spending large amount of
money and through the press are getting
a great deal of advertising the world
over
Anyone with half sight can see that
this is sure to attract lovers of the beau
tiful Morgan horse to our Green Noun
tain State. In spite of the automobile,
elegant carriage and saddle horses are
always in demand at prices just in pro-
portion to their action, finish and style
and no breed of horses on earth can touch
the Diorgans along these lines.
Now, would not advise every man to
go into this business. Any man who
has no love for the horse-the beautiful
nervy, brainy horse-but prefers to plod
along behind the great numbering OK, or
perhaps little better, the lazy, awkward
draft horse, had better not start in this
business; but to any man who has good
judgment, and who is willing to work :,
and carefully observe the signs of the
times-it would seem to me no business
can assure more certain success or larger
profits than this.
Let me caution anyone who expects
to start in this spring against the idea so
often held, that size is one of the most
desirable qualities to be obtained.
For 20 years have been breeding the
Morgan horse with at least fair degree
of success, and l can fully agree with a
remark made years ago by my father
who was very successful breeder of
Black Hawk Morgans, that he never
knew large over-grown Morgan thu t
amounted to much. In breeding much
weight and size you do away with all the
better things that make the Morgans so
desirable. | am not advocating the
little horse. though often they are a per-
feet bunch of muscle and nerves, but the
horse of medium size standing from 10 to
l5s hands high and weighing from 1000
to 100 lbs. Horses of this size with the
proper action and finish always command
a ready sale at good figures.
Yours for the Morgans,
E. G. RYDER.
Vergennes, VT, Mar. II, 1905.