The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1912-06-15
HEAVIER DRAFT HORSES NECESSARY
in MODERN METHODS OF FARMING
Weight Implements Has Increased by Manufacturers
and More Motive Power is Necessary---A Great OPP
portunity for the Owners of Good
Brood Mares
W. Registry Board
K a.


now obtain in the eastern section OF
the corn belt.
There is no place where high-class
draft horses can be produced so
cheaply as right here in Kansas and
there is no class of horses that viii
return the Kansas farmer greater prof
its than high-class, heavy draft horses
There is continual insistent demand
upon the market for high-class draft
horses This market demand is not
imaginary as some are apt to think.
A review of the past years horse
market proves that the demand is
real and cannot be supplied. 1t is
true that the market has been food
ed with common ordinary farm stuff
for which buyers have persistently re-
fused to pay a remunerative price.
Because of the losses sustained by
shippers of this common ordinary
stuff, the impression is prevalent in
many sections that there is very little
demand for any classes of horses, but
such is not the case. The tenor of
every market report is that there is
an insistent demand for high-class
draft horses but that they are scarce.
In fact, less than five per cent of all
the horses received at the Chicago
market during the past year have been
sound, smooth, draft horses weighing
LEO pounds or over. The good draft
horses which came to the Chicago
market during the year of 1911 aver
aged very close to $500 each, and it
costs very little more to pro-
duce them that to produce the
common, ordinary average farm horse
which usually sells on the open mar
ket for less than $3.50. Here then is
a great opportunity for the farmer
NARROWER. He can produce his own
efficient and economical motive power
in the form of good, sound, heavy
draft horses and can make a hand
some profit by selling the surplus for
which there is continual and urgent
demand Instead of selling his good
mares, the farmer should retain them
with which to do the farm work and
to raise colts. These mares, to raise
the kind Of colts that will develop in
to big, smooth, drafters, should be
bred to the very best pure-bred stall
lions available for the good pure-bred
sire is the only one that will insure
any marked improvement in the gen.
eral average of our horses. The mare
owner must remember that breeding
as well as individuality in our breed
ing animals is absolutely necessary.
The mare owner should satisfy him
self that the stallion he may wish to
patronize really has the breeding
claimed for him. In 1909 before Kan
sas had a stallion law Al per cent of
all the stations advertised as regis
tered, pure-bred, ETC., were simply
grades and scrubs. The mare owner
who patronized these stations was
grossly deceived and a great injury
and injustice was done him. Condi-
lions are different now and the mare
owner has second great opportunity
in this horse breeding work. That is
the opportunity or means of knowing
just exactly the condition of soundness
and the breeding of any and every
stallion he may wish to patronize, for
Kansas now has a stallion law which
requires every stallion to be licensed
by the State Live Stock Registry
Board before he can legally stand for
public service, and the owner must
keep this state license which contains
authentic information regarding the
soundness and breeding of a stallion
posted in a conspicuous place so that
the mare owner may satisfy himself in
regard to the soundness and breeding
of a stallion without having to seek
this information from parties inter
ested in the stallion he may wish to
patronfze. He now has an opportunity
to know whether the stallion is
pure-bred or grade, sound or unsound,
and he should remember that it is only
the sound, pure-bred sire that will i'm
prove our Kansas horses.