Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 232, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 October 1911 — The Farm Brood Mare [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Farm Brood Mare

By H. E. ALLEN,

Asined Husbandry IhpartßMSl, Ferdss Sdwal *f AgriodtSN

Our horse stock has boon influenced and somewhat Improved during the past few years by the campaign that la being conducted against the scrub, ■naound and grade stallion*. Through this work many farmers have been benefited and encouraged la the production of a higher class of horses. Pure bred, sound stallions have, to a Croat extent, crowded out the undesirable type of grades and scrubs in the more Intelligent and up-to-date ■ections of the country. This has accomplished much good as evidenced by the appearance of a greater per cent, of high class, high priced horses cn our farms and in the markets. However, it is a lamentable fact that, •s yet, too many of our horses are unsound and undersized Individuals, Utting into no market class and so commanding only very ordinary prices. - This condition will continue to exist in spite of the use of pure bred, sound stallions until farmers discontinue breeding the undersized, unsound, mongrel mares that are found on so many of our farms. While many farmers are beginning to appreciate the importance of the pure bred, sound stallion, the equal Importance of using good, sound mares *a not generally understood. Too often p mare is set aside for breeding purposes when by reason of unsoundness ■he Is no longer lit for anything else. So long as this ruinous policy continues we will have a surplus of un-

sound horses on our farms and on the markets, keeping the average price of horses down to the minimumThe Farmer's Type of Mare. Market prices indicate an urgent demand for larger and better horses. Now, since the farmer must have horses, why not keep good, big, sound draft mares, which after all make the finest farm teams in the world? And besides, they will raise colts each year at little extra trouble and expense, the geldings of which will command high prices in the market that Is making these urgent demands. If given a trial, any farmer will find such a policy a good profitable business proposition. Accordtag to the accepted laws of inheritance, colts from unsound, undersized mares are just as likely to inherit the undesirable features of their dams as they are the same or any other bad qualities from their sires. It is necessary then that the wideawake, prosperous farmer keep his best mares, weighing not less than 1,400 pounds. Heavier ones would be better. They should be sound with plenty of good dense bone, and havo gentle dispositions. They should always be mated with the best pure bred stallion available regardless of the service fee, for what is |5 or |lO In the price of a horse when the difference between colts from a pure bred and a scrub stallion is often from 150 to 9100?

Good typo of 1,600-pound farm brood mares, give double returns by way of Colts and farm work.