Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 December 1892 — REAL RURAL READING [ARTICLE]

REAL RURAL READING

WILL BB FOUND IN THIS DEPARTMENT. borne Woll Recognized Principles of Breeding—A Convenient Sawback—Feed the Hogs Turnips—Buy Good CattleFarm and Household Notes. Breeding Matched Horses. There are few men, even among those actively engaged in the horsebreeding industry, says a correspondent of the American Agriculturist, who fully realize the long ami expensive searches that are made by horse dealers and by the agents of wealthy men to secure well-matched pairs of horses for carriage driving. It is not essential in a great number of these cases that tbe horses be fast trotters, but it is of the first importance that the pair match well, and after this that they move with a stylish, high-stepping and highspirited gait Such horses, matched, are worth very much more than double their price when sold alone, owing to the difficulty that is experienced in attempting to cater to this desire on the part of wealthy people to Indulge their fancy in an attractive pair of carriage horses. The following of the well recognized principles of breeding will go far toward securing well matched pairs. If one could use breeding mares, of an established standard of form and color, such as has been secured in the breeding of the Hackney Coach, French Coach, and Cleveland Bay, and could make use also of stallions . that had been thus bred, he could count quite confidently on producing what was desired But the average breeder has no such facilities at hand. He must use such mares as he has, nr can readily obtain, but even under such circurnstauces there is an intelligent way to proceed. A well-shaped mare may be bred for two years in succession to a sire whose prepotency has been shown to be so strong that his offspring, as a rule, strongly resemble him in form and color; or, what would he still better, two marcs of as great similarity as possible may be b'red the same year to such a sire, and the chances will strongly favor the securing of a well-mated pair. If one is breeding horses as a part of his farm operations it is dot difficult to secure mares that bear a close resemblance to each other, which, if a person is limited to the use of only one mare, he may, as suggested, breed for two years in succession to the same sire, or may arrange with a neighbor, having a mare somewhat similar to his own, to breed both the same season to such a sire with a view to the increased profit to both if a well-matched pair he thus obtained.

A French Coach, or a Cleveland Bay sire possessing fine style and spirit, is preferable, for there is a strength of breeding in the case of such sires that makes the handing down of their owYi characteristics to their offspring quite certain, even when the dams are not altogether similar to them in form and color. These two breeds are specially noted as possessing such form, spirit and good “action” as to make them particularly desirable as carriage horses. Good results in breeding for matched pairs may come when well-built trotting bred stallions are used, hut the past breeding of suchspimals usually makes the chance of Uniformity of form and color in the offspring decidedly remote. Attempting to secure such uniformity can certainly result in no loss, if the attempt be made as suggested, while it may result in a quick sale’and a largely increased profit.