Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1916-12-21
MORE GOOD
HORSES NEEDED.
written for the Beacon

-~r~'@~-
No man has keeaer interest, IN
an economic sense, in the problem
of preparedness, than the farmer,
and particularly the farmer Of good
stock raising sections. For there
can be no army without horses, and
lots or them, and horses cannot be-
produced in mnnition factories.
Ia Europe the proportion of horse
strength to man strength in military
establishments is two in Eve. IN
this country, owing to universally
poor roads, which limit the useful
ness Of che gasoline-driven vehicle,
it is two and a half to FIVE.
Nowadays when nations march to
war they march in millions. 1t ii.
difficult to drill this idea through
the American skull, but penetration
win be effected ultimately and then
we win have real army. presis
dent Wilson suggested last winter
in his preparedness recommendations
to Congress an army Of go, 900.
men-regulars and continentals.
The super-experts Of the war college
have asked for l,iO0. 900; General
Leonard Wood for 1000, 900. IL
President Wilson's theories a. to-
the requirements IN men Of the new
defense force Of the nation prevails,
220, 900 horses mnst be had by the
War Department right away. The
war college scheme calls for la0, 600,
General Wood for 100000, and We
have the word Of General Wood,
man Of few illusions, for il that
il is going 20 be harder TO gct horses
for the defense Of The nation than
men.
The student Of statistics max feel
inclined 70 question this proposition
because the last live stock census 81
the nation showed that there we'
in the neighborhood Of "a, 600, u00
horses in the country. But the iast
live stock census was taken several
years ago. since when upward Of oue
million horses and mules have been
shipped TO the fighting nations OF
western Europe So few animals
iit for military service remained IL
the country las, spring the War
Department found Il impossible 20
secure enough FOR the mobilization
of $50, 900 National tsasrdsmen On
the Mexican border last summer.
The rapid development in the last
City years Of railroad and trolley
service and the recent appearance Of
the cheap automobile have brough,
tins condition about SO great has
been fhe falling Of IN the demand
for heavy and light harness horss
aud saddlers The farmers these dass
are breeding nothing but the heasi
est draughl types. FOR which thore
Il an increasing Industrial demand,
ana those are unfit for any military
service save dragging heavy ~.
tillery.
The needs Of national defense de-
mand the immedisic development Of
a special military type and the heftr
the army wants il The grade, that Is
Che offspring o. the thoroughbred
stallion AID the ordinary farm mars
Sixty years u experimentation "a
Europe have demonstrated that The
grade with The thoroughbred i8F
cross Il the hest horse and officers
al the remonnt service are giving
better priees for tina, sort than for
any other kind.
There il no better stock country
than Southern Maryland aud there
- no reason why every farmer Of
st. Mary's and adjoining counties
should not add materially % bis IL
comics hy developing three o. four
such horses every year. There +
need of che service " morc thorough
bred stations than are available,
but there are two 10 this county and
they are easy o. soeess. One Isl
Patton. New York bred sou 81
Chaetannnda aud Retaliation, o8u-
cd by Colonel +. w Hathaway.
which carries the blood Of the
families that have given the AmeFl-
can turf such celebrated racers az
Caughnawaga, Sir John johnson,
Mohawk, "a, Reqnitsl, Walls, sir
William johnson and Montealm.
Patton il a strapping chestnut, short
backed, strong Iimbed, heavy top
ped, Of excellent bone Developments
and absolute constitutional sound
ness. Patton was stouf distance
running weight carrier. Ills stud
weight Is somewhat more than 1850
pounds and be breeds to type.
The other is Racquet, a son Of
Ranald and Lady Cushman, which
belongs TO the fanatics Of Salvador,
Wagner, Colonel Bill, Irish Lad,
Wax Taper and Tammany. He il
owned by j Fcnner Lee. He is 40
eleven hundred pound horse Of
striking conformation and he quail
fications for the getting the superior
remount type have been pronounced
second to none by officers Of the
Breeding Bureau Of New York.
0'NKu SKsiER.