cluding spermatozoa. So far as regards the most of these bacteria, we are not supposed to know anything concerning them, and we can illy afford to take any chances in having our efforts prove abortive because of carelessness in being cleanly. Mares kept in dark, illy ventilated and filthy stables do not breed with as much certainty as do those kept in sanitary barns, or in the open air These are things to be remembered if we wish to meet with any marked degree of success in our horse breeding operations.

The secondary condition responsible for nearly all barrenness in mares is the failure of the ovaries to discharge a mature egg. With normal mares and under normal conditions the ovaries alternately develop and discharge a mature egg every twenty-one days. If we examine the egg of the mare under high magnification it will be observed that the egg membrane contains many small pore canals. These canals, or at least of many of them, are penetrated by small follicular cells of the Graafian during their growth and development, and it is by this means that the egg is nourished. When we stop and consider how delicate are all the parts concerned in the development and maturation of an egg, it will be easy for us to understand why the mare is likely to discharge so many immature eggs. If we examine the egg of the mare a few days before its discharge from the Graafian, a large germinative vesicle will be noticed occupying about one-fourth of the egg space, and which will be located very nearly in the exact center. Assuming this to be a normal egg, if we had let it remain in the ovary a few days longer, this germinative vesicle would have disappeared, and in its place would be noticed a small egg-nucleus, occupying a position to one side of the center, and only about one one-hundredth part of the entire egg. Such an egg is a mature egg, capable of being fertilized by a spermatozoon of the stallion, and it is only mares capable of developing and maturing such eggs that can be made to breed. It matters not what it may be, but any force or condition such as colds, fevers, excitement, a low physical condition, infection or any one of many things, which will arrest the development and maturation of the egg of the mare must necessarily give us a barren mare.

In conclusion, then, it is well for us to remember that if it is foals we want, and especially if it is is foals of the most pronounced vitality, those maturing into horses capable of performing our heavy work, and with such powers of resistance that disease will not attack them, we must have stallions and mares that are physically and sexually vigorous and normal. Even if we have such mares and stallions it is only by good care and the best of handling that will enable us to keep them in the best breeding condition. But this done, and educating the owners of both mares and stallions to the need of wholesome food, pure water, the strictest cleanliness, kindness in the handling of all our horses, and the use of stallions of the best conformation, not only sound, but of a conformation that will remain sound when put to severe tests, and the breeding of draft horses will prove more lucrative than any of which we know.

A REVIEW OF DRAFT HORSE BREEDING IN THE

UNITED STATES.

WAYNE DINSMORE, SECRETARY PERCHERON SOCIETY OF AMERICA, CHICAGO. The breeding of draft horses in the United States may be said to have begun wth the importation of Louis Napoleon, the first Percheron stallion imported to the United States in the early '50s. Draft stock was known in this country prior to that time, but it was of more or less doubtful origin and not pure in breeding.

This first Percheron importation was made by Fullerton & Martin, of Ohio, and it is related that this three-year-old which they imported was ridiculed the first year, patronized some the second and praised by all during the third year of his service in this country. He was of good size, closely ribbed and very blocky and compact, but was not of the largest type, as he weighed in full flesh a little over sixteen hundred pounds. His colts, however, were a most effective argument in his behalf, for they were wonderfully uniform and showed unusual development, even as yearlings.

The blood "nicked" well with the native American stock and an Illinois breeder was so favorably impressed with the get of this stallion that he purchased him for $1500 and took him to DeWitt county, in Illinois, in 1855, where he gave excellent satisfaction, and was shown through the latter '50s and '60s at all leading fairs with his get. He died in 1871.

The excellency of Louis Napoleon's colts may be said to have started Percheron importations to this country, and a number of importations were made made during the latter '50s and even through the '60s, although not so many at this time. Beginning again in the '70s, importations were quite general and between 1876 and 1893 a very large number of Percheron horses were imported to this country. The first Shires were imported in 1862, the first Clydesdales were also imported about this time, but importations of Shires and Clydesdales were not at all general until after 1872. Belgians were first imported in 1866, but the importation of this breed were slight until after 1888.

From a practical standpoint, therefore, the chief progress in the breeding or pure bred draft horses in the United States has dated since 1870.

VALUATION OF HORSES.

In 1880 there were 11,201,800 horses in the United States, with an average valuation of $54.75 per head, or a total valuation of $613,296,611. While on January 1, 1910, the horses in the United States numbered 21,040,000, with an average of $108 per head, or a total valuation of $2,276,363,000.

Horses have, therefore, almost doubled in numbers during the past

thirty years and have doubled in average valuation. The total valuation of the live stock included under the head of cattle, sheep, swine, horses and mules runs into such staggering totals as to be beyond comprehension. The total valuation of the classes of stock named, January 1, 1910, amounted to $5,138,486,000, and of this amount $2,368,028,000 represents the total valuation of the cattle, sheep and swine, while mules represent $494,095,000 and horses alone amount in valuation to $2,276,363,000. In other words, horses and mules represent more than onehalf the total valuation of the live stock in the United States and the valuation is on a very conservative estimate, the average valuation on mules being placed at $119 per head and the average valuation on horses at $108.

Figures of this kind necessarily are difficult to keep in mind and may not mean a great deal to the vast majority of you, but it may be somewhat easier to remember, that of the total live stock in the United States, horses alone represent almost one-half the total valuation of live stock, while horses and mules together exceed in valuation all of the cattle, sheep and swine.

LIVE STOCK INDEX TO A NATION'S WEALTH.

No nation in the world ranks so high in live stock production and in valuation of live stock as the United States, and Nebraska is one of the highest ranking states in its live stock production.

There is a very close connection between live stock raising and the prosperity of a nation, for we find in a study of the nations of the world that those which are most wealthy, most prosperous and which have the highest order of intelligence are those which are abundantly supplied with domestic animals for purposes of food and draft.

We have been termed a nation of meat eaters, and it is generally admitted that the intelligence and physical vigor which characterize the American people is in no small degree due to the fact that they are more liberally nourished, on a better diet, than any other people.

DRAFT HORSE MAKES LABOR-SAVING POSSIBLE.

The draft horse has done more to make possible the thorough culti vation of our farms and to permit of farming on a labor saving basis than any other animal which we possess. He has made possible a high standard of life on our farms.

Dr. Knapp, the special agent of the Department of Agriculture, who has made extended investigations into southern agriculture, has pointed out very clearly that the one great weakness in southern agricultural conditions, lies in the low proportion of team force used, per man. In many large districts through the south one man uses but one mule, whereas, in such districts as Iowa, Nebraska and other prosperous northern states, practically four horses are used per man. The efficiency of the human worker is thus greatly multiplied and the heavier tools

and more modern machinery makes possible much more thorough cultivation, with its corresponding results in larger crops and greater prosperity for the man who tills the soil.

CITY DEMAND-EFFECT OF AUTO TRUCK.

There has been in the past a great market in our large cities for heavy draft horses and good prices have for many years been realized for horses of substantial weight and good draft qualities. This market still exists. It is possible that it may be in some degree curtailed by the development of the motor truck, although I have but recently read the frank admission of some of the most noted authorities in the auto world, to the effect that the auto truck cannot expect to compete with draft horses, save where the hauls are exceptionally heavy, of greater length than is usual, and where but little delay is connected with loading and unloading.

In such work as freight hauling from the warehouses and large jobbing establishments to the freight depots, where the distance is relatively short and where teams must frequently stand for an hour or two, waiting an opportunity to unload, the high cost of the auto truck preIcludes its economical use; and as hauling of this and similar kinds makes up a large part of the draft horse work in the cities, I do not look for as serious a curtailment in city demand for draft horses in the future as many alarmists are expecting.

GREATEST MARKET IN THE FUTURE.

I believe, however, that the greatest market for the draft horses of the future will be found on the farms. As the prices of farm products continue to advance land values will inevitably advance and, to be successful, we must so till the soil as to secure more abundant crops than before.

High production on our farms comes only with thorough tilling of the soil. Plowing must be thoroughly done and every furrow turned to as great a depth as the conditions of the soil and the crop to be grown renders advisable. The plowed land must be disked and this must be well and frequently done, especially during the spring months when land not so handled tends to lose a large share of its stored up moisture, particularly during the dry springs which we so frequently have.

The most fertile fields are those which receive most liberal dressings of barn yard manure and our modern machinery which renders this work so easy requires an abundance of power in the way of horse flesh. Cultivation, it is true, does not require such extremely heavy horses as the other work of the farm, yet animals must be of good weight and possess abundant strength to handle a riding cultivator for ten hours' steady work in the field, particularly where the work is well done.

Haying with six-foot mowers, twelve-foot rakes and elevating hay

loaders require horses of more than usual strength and the modern selfbinder was never built for animals of light weight.

In fact, throughout all the farm operations, we find urgent need for draft animals of the best conformation and with weight exceeding sixteen hundred pounds, even in working condition. In many of the farm operations animals weighing in excess of eighteen hundred pounds can be more efficiently used than those of the lighter weight.

OBJECTIONS SLIGHT.

It is true that there are many farmers who cannot see the advantage of using draft horses for farm work, but their number is steadily growing less. One of the arguments most frequently advanced is that draft horses are slower in field work and do more injury to the crops in turning than lighter horses weighing eleven and twelve hundred pounds, but the charge of slowness is unfounded, for the long swinging stride of the good drafter carries him over vastly more ground in a day than the shorter, fussier, but apparently more rapid step of his light weight brother. So far as the crop damage in turning is concerned, practically all up-to-date farmers are now adopting the plan of leaving a twelvefoot head land in hay, which gives a much neater appearance to the fields, makes it possible to keep the fence rows clean from weeds and also permits of turning without damaging the field crops. The head lands produce practically as much hay as any of the meadow lands and it is a simple matter to adopt this plan.

ECONOMIC WASTE NOT TO USE MARES.

Aside from the fact that the farm work can be more efficiently and economically done by the use of heavy draft horses, we find that where intelligent methods prevail, the farm work is being done by mares and such of their colts as are not yet of marketable age, which means that the work is being done by animals that are of productive value aside from their labor.

The man who keeps geldings or mules for his farm work secures only their labor in return, while the man who keeps draft mares, receives not only their labor but, in addition to this, their colts. It is true that somewhat more team force must be kept where the work is done by mares than where the work is done entirely by geldings, but when we consider that three mares can be counted upon to do as much as any team of geldings of an equal weight and strength, that the difference in feed cost will not exceed $60 per year, and that the three mares can be counted upon to produce in addition to their labor at least two colts that are worth $100 each as yearlings, it is apparent that the mares are the most profitable. The comparison just made is on the basis of grade mares, but where pure-bred mares are kept the returns will be much greater.