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Il DOMINION OF CANADA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE DOMINION EXPERIMENTAL FARMS THE FRENCH-CANADIAN HORSE " He never gives out, it does not matter what he is at. BY GUS. LANGELIER Superintendent, Experimental Station, Cap Rouge, Que. BULLETIN No. 95 REGULAR SERIES Published by direction of Hon. F. S. To'tnic, Minister of Agriculture, Ottawa, Ont. 630. i| C212 ^P. Farms Service Bui, OTTAWA THOMAS MULVEY rni.VTKR TO THE KINii!^ MOST EXCELLE.XT MAJE8TT 1920 The Horse Barn. Experimental Station. Cap Rouge. Quo r f I April 28, 1920. Tlic Honourable The MiNisTEit of Aciiicii.tihk, Ottawa, Out. Sm, — I tmvp thi! liommr ti> suluiiit lin-fwitli for your approval the inaiiuscr'pt of Bullftiii Xo. !(,■) of tlu' nvuhir Kxpcriiiu-iitiil Kanii> SiTies, entitled "The French- Canadian lliirse," and prepared hy Dr. (■ .\. Lanjfelier, Su|M'rintendeiit of the ExperinieiituI Station at Cap Uoufre, Que. In my opinion, tlie lireedin;,' of Freneli-Canadian hordes should he eneouruged :— (1) liei-ause of till- wonderful utility, hardines.s and easy-keeping (|ualities of the !>rced. • (2) Beeau., go much required on our farms and in our towns and cities. (3) It is strictly a Canadian lirecd. I would recommend the pulilic-ation of this bulletin, therefore, us giving further information on this valualiU- hreed of horse, together with a preliminary account of the wider e.xperinicntal wori< in Freiu'h-Cainulian horse breeding now being undertukeu under the supervision of our Cap Kouge superintendent. I have the honour to be, sir, Vour obedient servant, E. S, AUCHIBALD, Director, Dominion Experimental Farms. TABLE OF CONTENTS Pace. TIk' |M>niiiiIii'licy i)f till lii.rsi' <) Til!- nciu'riil-purpiisc Ikh-x' <> The Frciicli-CmiiKliiiii lior-c •^^ His t'iirly history ,, Ilis i-tiiiuriiiici' ji As ii (r<'iiiTiil-iiiir|)iisc licir-c J > For military imriMisc^ i.i His d'spositii'M I-. Scale (if |> l:!-!') What has Ix'cii doi'o .- Thf story tif AJhcrt dc ( ap Rnutrc ].', A pri'piitciit stalliiiti i,; HrotNliiifr prolpji'iiis. 1- Fi'i'diii); <]utsti('ns ,^ nousiiiK liorsc's .^ ("arc ami maiiaffi'iiiciit y^ I'mpiistHl (>.\pi>riin('iital Aiirk ; .,,-) Till' .St. Joachim hiirs' farm .,, Till' value of a<'i • rccorils .,j Hiriiifj out stalli .-,.-, MTi-?- -2 THE FRENCH-CANADIAN HORSE By Gls. Laxgelier. THE PERMANENCY OF THE HORSE. When the steam plouph wns first used, when the electric tramways commenced to run, when the bicycle, the automobile, the tractor and the true' were put into service many saw a horseless age not far distant. Cartoonists depi- 1 a nag as a curiosity to be found only in museums within a very few years; mei- . :,-ood intentions wrote articles in the papers and the feeling became widely spread t' it was only a question of time for the horse complet.-ly to disappear. And still tht ufficial records show that despite the large exportations during the Great War, there were more horses in Canada and in the United States, in 1918, than there ever were in any year since the discovery of the New World. That this should be so is at first sight, remarkable, if one takes into consideration the fact that the horse has had p .ctically no advertising agent to e.xtol his merits whilst the very best talent has bee;, eniployctl to push the automotive industry. Small fortunes have been spent to show how horses could be replaced by automobiles, trucks and tractors, whilst nothing has bwn done to prove that different kinds of work per- formed by horseo could never even be attempted by mechanical po\ jr. But the gradual increase in the number of horsrs is not so extraordinary after all, and, in fact, is only what might have boen expected when one thinks about the very (■oiigcsted city districts where trucks will never be profitable on short hauls, the long winter months, in most nortliern sections, during which automobiles and tractors will necessarily be idle, and the hilly or even ver>- rolling farms where too much power is lost ill propelling the machine itself. It must be admitted that some of the ordinary woriv of hor.es can be done as well and sometimes more cheaply with machines. But this is also true of the labour of iiieii. yet, thcugli during the list tliree or four dec. - machines of ry '.escription have been invented and placed in factories still manui.l labour is r er than ever. Besides these considerations, the average farmer is not o mecban ny more than tin average mechanic is a farmer. As long as his tractor i new, he gets along vc>ry well, but afterwards he commences to have trouble witn i' service station is far away or busy, he rray be stuck in the '.; haying or harvesting. On the other hand, tl ■ . re <>{ hor.^ generation to generation, and even if omi> aiiin , laid up, stop. That the automotive industry is reticlcring a service to the country at the same time as it is piling up dividends is adinitt<'(l; that it will in time crowd the horse away Irom farms is not believed by anybody wlio has given the question serious considera- tion. ;ii(i if the dealer or the "'•iest seasons of seeding, - 'las ipcen known from whole work doe.-, not THE GENERAL-PT'RPOSE HORSE. The autonioliile has no doubt largely replaced the horses which were brrd an a luxury, such as carriage horses, coachers and saddlers, though the latter iiave probably suffered less than the first two. It has and will continue to replace the roadste-s iii many disti'icts. Tractors am' trucks have also replace.l heavy draugiit hor.-es tj no small extent but the i)ermaneiiey of their replacement i- iif pniven. Tlif farm chunk, in coinpiirison with tiio drauKhtcr, hardly ever had anyhody to say a jrond word in his favour, as there were no breeders interested to boost him. The neiieral-i)uri)ose liorse lias been despised because he was often a misfit, or the result of haphazard erossinjr. Hut if a bri-ed existed which regularly lurnisheil iKirscs weighinfr from 1,100 to 1,3(M) i)o\mds, that could be hitched to a carriage without looking out of plai-e, and take llieir turn at farm work with a willing' disposition, a fast walk, lots of coiiratie an the only clnss of profitable horse to r:sted than anywhere eise in Amcrii-a, wrote as follows, a few years a»ro : " Hc-ide- the heavy draught, h't us have a useful, intellitfcnt horse of nieiiinni -ize. with a ile.p. ibii'k ■•best, l^Mandin^' 1 k. full forelwad and larwe, briifbl eye. an o|h'm iio,iril and er.-cl ear. a .short lee, heavily mu,seleund; then, with a short back and strontr loin, \v>- -ball have a horse of u<.od a.'ti.iii, of ureat endurance, and one that wil! ^ive If 1 proini f reiMhrinu' -ervi.'c for twenty .vears. For such tt hor«e there i- a -troinf and (rmuini; dt iiiaml. Who will br I bun and ..iit of what bl I lines wdl Im' be produced (" No U'tlc-r .le.rri|Mi..ii ..f llie I'n 11. b-( 'a;uiilian bors nld have been iiiadi'. THE FF{i:XCir-CAXADIAX IIOKSK. HIS EARLY HISTORY. Tlu' old-tinic Kri'iiili-Ciiiiadiiiii i)oii.v, as lie wu.s fuUiHl, whs ndiiiitti'd to be a lilile horse of iron. Tlioujth tliere are no records to prove it, he could probably ilevelop and keep on developing more i)o\ver jx'r hundred pounds of liis weifjht than any other member of the ecpiine family. This is explained by the fai-t that the first animals of this i)reed were sent from France to Canada by Louis XIV, who liked to do thiiifts in ffreat style and who had niven instructions to his minister Colbert, the latter very much interested to see the new colony prosiwr, to pick out the best specimens in his country. These horses, which remained the property of the l\in^' for tliree years, were distributed amon>rst the frentlcmen of Canada who had must helped colonization and farniinkr. ..Jgj^^ 0-vmfr^- '?S|S KKK.NCH-fA.NADIA.N .MAllK.s With the r short hark iind slrnriK loin, ihey have Kii-at iiiiliitanof Afterwanls. there was the natnriil selection, by the survival of the fittest, which cliiniiiateii, Ihronrli the <'(>Ii| cliiTiati' mid ibc rainc«l and ll.'.te-t li,ir-is in Anr rini. ni« FMii iiwri:. A disintirestcd p.irty. Mr. .1. \V. Itufbam. of Itradford comity, IVnii.vlviMiia. wrote as follows in the llnr,l,t„ (linitti- (Chicajio) of Xlar.'b I'.t. I',tl4: "A liunberman bouulit a ('anndian bor-e hot wei(rbin»r ovit l.o.Vl pounds anti «..rked blin beside ji hor-. wiiiiiiiiiji .'(HI iM.iindi inor.' on an even wiiitfietri'e. Tiie Canadian K. pt up bis end at all times and never sbowi'd as much wearine^- as his birp-r mate. After ibey had w<,rked lo^retller two years, the bi^ horse died. When askeil what was tiie iiiattei'. 10 the driver «aid: ' The Canadian wcirked him to death.' A large horse that was mated with him afterwards died within a year, leaving the Canadian still well and sound. The Canadians are undoubtedly descended from a larpe breed of horse brought over from Franee in the early settlement of the country. The colts, not being as well fed and warmly stabled as their ancestors, and exposed much of the time to a rigorous climate and hard work, degenerated in s'ze, but improved in hardini^s and endurance." AS A CKXEHAI.-PritPOSK AMMAI.. ^fr. A. \V. Smith, ex-M.P. for Xorth Middlesex, Out., spoke as follows, in lOOi), before the Select Standing Committee on Agriculture and Colonization: "There are quite a number of these horses that I have had the pleasure of handling personally, and I know of the good qualities which they possess. I have in mind one particular team which was typical of the large number that I was conversant with. This t.'am weighed 1.2'<0 ixiunds each as nearly as possible. They were very well matcheIAN M MIIOS liavi' ii lomi l)i-ti;iiil tlii'iii thi y will lUK ill It iiiiul thi-y nicivp it. *■'•'' '• ^^ ' ordiniiry ,i/.d l.ui.j at iil»,nt f.nir mil, Imm-, 1 tliiiik tlmt is oii,. ,if the best qiiiklities y.iii cuuld have in a farm Imrse and tiic I'rencli-Canadian is an ideal fttriiiyr'o iior-e. Hc-ii).- linn, | Imvc seen tlic siiiii,. icmn iiiiitch.il iigiiiii~t other heavier horse* that would wcinh pMlmlilv l.tinii to l.Toii poiinds. Tlic Kriii,h-('iiiiii(lian horses would draw a heavier load than heavier horses. That is one of the eharactoristic* 1 have touiid ill tlie^ Kreiieh-t'iiimitlaii hor-es and I liiiiey that we have not yet drVc!o,n-d r.ii.v lirnd, ..rr.iixiiir.- of Lieed... liinl w.tiij.l eoiiie up lo tiie Freiieii-Cniiadian n« a geiienil imrpose lior-e. Ft is i-Tlinps the most valiialile horse tlial the fiinner could il.ive either ill (^lleliee, Oiitiirio or ill the West." . 11 FOB MIUTAKY PURPOSES. Very few men hare a hcUcr pt'iioriil knowledge of horses than Dr. J. O. Ruther- ford, who was at one time chief of tlie Live Stnek and Health of Animals Branches of the Dominion Department of Agriculture. Here is what he says: "There is no reason wly this horse should not he bred, and extensively used, for cavalry purposes. They wojld also make (food mounted infantry ponies." Mr. Currie, ex-Af.P. for Xorth Simcoe. Ont., is also quoted : " T saw on one occasion several teams of Fre".ch-("iinadian horses that the Royal Canadian Artillery had. I never saw such maRnificent teams in my life. I understand that these horses went through all the Soutn African war and came hack home safe and sound." HIS DISPOSITION. The Tlon. Sydney Fisher, former :\rinister of ,\(]rriculture, expresses himself as follows: '-The French-C; udian horse, as a rule, is the most kindlv. -rcntle, and docile animal I have ever had the opportunity of handlinfr, and he is also one of the truest to his work. He never gives out, it does not matter what he is at. If it is on tlic road he travels along forever, and if he has a load behind him he will tup at it until he moves it. He never baulks and children can handle him with the greatest safety. In every way he is docile and kindly." SCALE OF POINTS. Tl-e following scale of points was nremred bv the spcretnrv of the French Oana.lian Horse Rrer.lers' Assoeiati(,n, Dr. .1. A. Coiitur,-. who has done more for the revival of the hrit-d than any other man connwted with this assoeiation. Fimt Clroup. Head. Shape and Carriage.— Square, that is rather short and with straight lines every- where; lean ; carried rather high and slanting Ears. — Not too close, thin, active, rather short Forehead and face. — Hroa() and flat .i Eyes.— Wide apart; flush with the head; large; moderately convex; briglit. and kinil E.velids.— Thin, wide apart, clean and mobile ]' Nostrils. — Largo and wide apart Lips.- Thin, mobile, covered with delicnte skin 1 Mouth.— Rather small I^wer jaw.— Wide apurt tuid rather broail at the angle [ Cavity between the jaws.-Wide spread, lean and well hollowed out. . . .. .. 1 Cheeks.- Well developed, firm but not fat Total points for this group . Sicntid (Iroiip, Neck and Throat. Throat.- Wide across; thr..iillnlch sliirlitly ilepres,nl' ) Neck.— Rather straight than arched: bmad at lower and thin at upper edge; lidog ■(lighlly Miiiided and Hriiily muscl.'d; grneefiillv altiiehec!' t., the head nnd well lasifiied to the shoulders ^ Total iKiints for this gMiip ■ . 1; Third Group. Body. Withers. — Lean, slightly raised and long Back. — Strong, broad, straight, short Loins. — Broad', .short, strong, straight Breast. — Broad, so that the horse's legs are wide apart ; covered with well developed and projecting muscles ('lit-.t.— Broad and deep; ribs long, broad, well apart and well archeit Belly. — Somewhat large but not pendulous; gradually rounding in with the curve of the ribs and flanks Total points for this group. 1 4 4 1 7 3 20 Fourth Group. Fore-quarters. Shoulder.— T.^ing. .-loping and well nius<'le(>. Arm and ellnnv. — T-ong, thick, covered with hard and projecting nuisdes. Arm mrolcrateiy inclined. F.Ibow long, parallel to the axis of body and at the same time apart from it Fiire-ann, — Descciuling as lo« ns possible, bro.ul". thick. pcri)cndicnlnr Knee. — Lean, long, broad, thick, cleon, perpendicular, not turned either in or cut. Total points for this group. 1 o 5 15 Fifth ilroup. Hind-quarters. Troup.— As long as p. ssibl,.. \vidc, slightly sloping; the point of the hip should project but little Tail-Large at the ru.*. thick, attached rather h'gh, with an abundance of tine and rather long hair Buttock.— DescciMliiig as near the hock ns ixissiblc, Hrni, thick, wi'll iiiuscIimI. . . .") Thigh. — Broa>l ..mi ihick Stifli'. ("Iciin. clo-c to billv, turned slightlv outward | Leg. — I,ong. wide, the tendon well seiwrated from the bone, large and hard, . . . j Hock. Cleiin. leiin. wide, thick, parallel to tbi' inclined plane of the body, not turned either in or nut Tulid )io'nts for this gnm 14 Sir III 1 1 roil p. l/owiT piirt c.f the leg. Cannon.- Sbnrt, bn.iHl, tbirk, cl.iin, lc;in, ixTp.'inliculur. Trndotis l.^an, dean, tirni, large and well detaehiMl. Fell.H'U. Ilr.inil, thick, lean, I'lcan, slightly s|i,ntiiig. Paster 1. -limad, thick, average length, ino.l, r:it( Iv -liinling; free from hair - Fnr fore leir , , .,..,,,,.. Fnr hind lei.' Ti'tiil p.>int- fiT this gnitir 10 13 Sercnth Group. Feet. Front foot. — Lnrjre, stronp. ns brond ns lonp, resting squnrrly on tlip proinid face line slightly inclined; height of heels one-half that of front face; heels widely spread, even, resting stiunrely on the ground; sole hollow, thick; frog, strong and rather hard 10 Hind foot. — Should possess all the qualities indicated for the fore foot except that it is more oval in shape and the heels are higher and more spread. ... .5 Total points for this pronp 1.") Eighth Group. Exterior. Skill. — Soft, plinnt. mellow, loose: hair smooth 1 Colour. — Any colour is acceptable. Height. — Males not to exceed !> feet 4 iiichc ; females not to exceed ." feet .T inches. inches; the height preferred is from ,1 feet 1 inch to .'> feet :1 inches 1 Weight. — Males not to exceed 1,4.'')0 pounds, females not to e> d 1,300 pounds; the weights preferred are from 1,100 to 1,^60 pounds for m > and frfim 1,0.50 to ^.•2!>0 pounds for females 1 Action.— Lively, brisk, rather long than high; hock, knee, fetlock and pastern bending easily 7 Total points for this group 10 Ti'inperami'nf nnd Nervoun Sysicm. The animal must be of a docile ♦emperanient but full of vigour and spirit without being nervous 4 General Appinrnnr''. The animal mu.st be graceful in carriage and demeanour as well as in symmetry and shape -, Grand total of pdint- 100 WHAT HAS ItKR.V DOXi:. TiiK sToiiv or M.miiiT Di; eve iioici:. During the ai tiiiiiii of 1!)1:>, a black mare nf t'- .u-al sliapi'. but weighing less tliun eleven liiiiidnil pound-', v.!!-^ Iioimlit for the Cup J{oug<" Stiitiou. Having lots of grit, a good gait, aiitt a I'oiiforniiition wliich gives her more strength tliiin animals two hundreil iiounils heavier, s|n> i< about as tough a piece of hofM-flcsh as ever walked on four ligs. Many a time she spent the full ten hours on the corn binder, with a .nate wi'igbing nearly tifleen hundred pounds, but never for a moment did her wbilfli'trcc get behind tlii' other, F.very tiiinislcr who worked with Iht -mid that ii when "lily a OfMifrle .-.f wtn-k^ lu-fore foaling. This nuire, Hi'lene— 4ii — . ba Slllc. ;i >iii;;I(-l>()iir(li'(l ^I'lMlt |irilc-ti<':lll\ r ••kknch-caxahian mauks Th.y nrp f,n« w.,lk,r». an.l thin rounts M tl„. ..,,.1 of n ,lav ploiiB-hinii. —„:?«:,;"= ;?*■'*.";•'" f'rv^" -- - «:»'--: A PRKPOTKNT STAI.r.ION-. Aft..r it wns sm, ,1.„ All-rf «ns ov.t ,1„. w. i^:l,f „f ..i,|,..r l,i, ,,,.. ,„ ,,,, ,,,„„ 1-nr- w..r,. mow ,.,„..r.,m„..l ,.. t„ .1,,. si... „f hi- ,,r„„,.M.v. ' 15 A .'imall but select hand of iiun-brod marcs liad been (■ollceted from various sources. Kach and evorj- one of them se(>med very srood at tlie time of pui.'hase, but when the dozen or so were assembled nt Cap Uoujie, it was felt that they were not by any means as uniform as they mi{?ht have been. In colour they )uagod from a light bay to a pure black, with intermediate .shades of dark bay. brown and brown-black. In weifrht, they went from unf, that they would b.> able to do lots of work for a long time. There were a few important characteristics, however, that every one kept for brcediiifj ha.l they were jrritty, they would pull all day at a barn without baulking; they never l.nked tired or drawn up after a hard day's work, and they were hearty feeders. It was thoupht that this was cvrtandy a jtood foundatie.i to work upon, as it seemed less difficult to breed for size and conformation than for cou.afre and endur- ance. In 191.'), when Albert was about two y> .,rs ,.],!, he scrv ■— . a typical black mare we'aliiog nl>oiit 1.2.50 |w)unr :!0, lOlO, a black colt, Daniel de Cap Koiige— 1072— which weighed 1.205 pounds at three years, which is 110 more than his sire at the same age. This stallion i- for use on his own paternal half sisters, and his fillies will only have 50 per cent of the blood of Albert or no more than their sire has him-elf. It i* intended, if possib],., to continue tl-.ls line breeding with a son, by Albert, either of nmnettc Coulombf — 1.12-1 — or of Princierr^— 007— , as they have both thrown cxcccdln.'lv ir.iod fillies to lii.! service. Tn dn'n'j so. the.e will d by her s.oi ^in-d by .Mbert. In twcli i':w\ the progeny would have 75 jvr cent of the blood of .Mliort instead of .IO per cent when line brei'iling. 16 This is the quickest way to improvement, hut one must not forget that defects a, well as good nual.fes oan thus ho accentuated. It is thus vcrv in^ortant that hoth Out-hrvfding. ' breeding "-'generate the French-rana^ian horse, it may be necessary to resort to out- a. . «o„ld afford a comparison of the throe principal methods of breedinp. KKKOINCi glESTIOXS. ^y|laf to feed. feed*- ro ♦« r„\l r , • '^"'"•''"fnfPs: prains and mil! hv-products- «,iccnlent vZtl'nZ '^at Itri' rJT'm"" T""- '''^^^ •'^^"*'«"*°" Pretend Th^l^^ and on the T^.ciic Cast J h h^ n T "'*'' ""*^* '" '^"^ "''"'^'^ ^^■'^^^ "'"' ""r". i.Kini coasr with harley ns the one concentrate e-,.te"n r'^M.d,'!irr ^'fV' *^"'''" "" '^' ^"''^■'^*' >* i« best to u«e as roughage in ZTii:::t:L^;^ -.H^y t..r a„i.nals .inch «ork, and dov.r-hu. tl" Xn d xonn, -.ff/:hi^r^:s:;^."i;:itr;;:'^trzr£r^"' ^-^^^ -^ -* -^ //ow Hii/r/i /o feed. idle Ilt'.V'"'"'' """" "'" "■'"■'■'''• "'"' "'"^^ "^ ''"''^' ^♦"l"'^". brood mare, work hor^e during.. ye!'r.' ' ''^ '"" """■''"• ""■• •'"•^•' *" ^'"•^ '— «-•'my l,e Kivcn k, ,| .„■ r■,^.. s.,„krd ur dry. I,,,,.' „r ct wlmlc „r ^nnnd 17 The average farmer can keep this kind of stoek at one end of the cattle barn, which should be partitioned off for this purpose. The same principles of construc- tion, however, apply in both cases. At the Cap Rouge Experimental Station, only animals which work are kept in the horse bam, as all others, either stallions, brood mares, or young stock, are wintered in o|)en-front, sinjjle-boarded sheds. ) ciitiiatton is a hard problem to solve in a horse barn as, very often, there are not enough animals to keep it sufficiently warm if the ventilators are working, whilst a few hours afterwards a team or two may come in and suddenly raise tlie tempera- ture. Whatever system is put in, one must ever be (m the lookout and open or shut inlets or outlets according to the weather, tiie direction of the wind, and the number of animals inside. Lii/ht siiould come in through windows which are easily opened and placed in such a way that the animals whii-h are tied will not have the glare directly in their face, whilst those which are loos;' cannot break the glass. It is well to remember that sunshine is by far the best and clieapest known destroyer of germs and microbes. Floors may be of concrete as it is more sanitary than wood and cheaper in the end. The alleys should be roughened so that animals will not slip. In boxes, lots of bedding can be used or blue c'.ay put in to a depth of about three inches, well tamped, and replaced once a year. For the standing stalls, concrete alone will do for horses that are worked regularly, when sufficient litter is available; otherwise blue clay can be us«>d as in the boxes, or, better, movable false floors of '.*" x I" hardwood spaced *" apart and placen-front, single-lioarded shed will do very well. Hay, oats and bran nvp practically nil the feeds which nre re.|uired, ii> nuantities to suit the size of the animal and the duties he has to iwrform in the collar or in the stud. Condition powders and other .stimulants will never <:ive to a stallion the vitality noi-essary to sire strong foals. The mnre. She should certainly get exercise, but an expcrim.Mit made with the same mare, five years in succession, at the Cap Rouge Experimental Station, shows that the mode of ex.'rcisinsr !■< not of importance. In (lii« c;wc, H!;i>-U 1»rint' .s to call a vetcr.nar.an. If the youn.s,..,- is as stron,^ as he shoul.l Ik', he S !!*»• — FKK.NlH-CA.NADIA.N- MAUK.S. Tlie m.ist kindly, gentle, and doiile animals to handle. be .u,.|- ......lied as sonn as possible aft. r Inrth on the navel and this treatment continued until that part is completely '"■"'"'' "."'•. '■.'"• "".■ ^ ""' ""• ''^"-.l faeces should he take,, out with the oiled finger and a,, ,M.iei-ti(.ii ot soapy water (riven. I'KOI'OSK!) IXPKKIMKXTA!. WOHK. The Dominion Department ,,f Atri-ieultiire. tl„„upl, the Kx|ierii„e.it„l Kanus Hraiieh, has decided ujio,, a |M,li,.y ii, repar.l- to ex|.erii,„.„tal l,o,-*e Ln-edMip fe.-dinir hoiisiup. and management. This naturally involves a larpc expenditure over a great li,a„y veai's as there are Muile a „,i„,he,- of |in,hle„i> to investipat.- and cvervthing must lie done tliorouBriily. •Where trouWe from navel-ill has t)e,-n exnerifln.-wl. 11 i.-< wol, to make u."e of or.« of »ho piswcn >-.,m,n«iv...l vjue.nes as a I>^r^■or,.t;v,^ This may be adtninislered to the mare^ 'previouB 19 This is certainly u big uuderUikiiiK, hut some of the work has already been started at over a dozen of the KxperiinentMl Farms, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Mares of different breeds have been bout;' and bred, and useful data have been col- lected and published. Some of the infoiiiiation, such as the cost of raising horses to a marketable age, for instance, was at first looked upon as detrimental to horse breeding, because it was found out that tlrs cost was uiucli higher than usually thought. But afterwards farmers commenced to realize the importance of knowing this and understood that 1o make money they had to raise only the best. Experiments of this kind are not flashy, but any reasonable-minded person can see of what pecunia-y benefit they are to Canadian agriculture. However, there are a great many things to be investigated: the problems of breeding-close, in line, or outcrossing should be studied; the questions of feeds, including roughages, concentrates, roots, molasses, pasture, also watering, the quanti- ties to give to different classes of animals— irllc, work, or brecdins- — the methods of feeding, raw or cooked, dry or soaked, cut or long, whole or ground, should be looked = ! to; (rtfforcnt kinds of housing, the stiil>1c liy itself, or a part of the ciittlc burn partitioned off for horses, also the cheap -helters for young stock and animals which arc at rest, should be studiwl; diverse sy-tcnis of nMiiiigeiiiciit. s"c'i iis wovk or no work for sUillions ond brood marcs, ways of preventing common diseases of foals, of vai-iiig young stuff, of breeding mares in the autumn, sli.jiild have some attention. It Wiis evident that though good' invcstigntional work Wuc being done at many. Stations, there was not a sufficient numlnT of animals at any one place to permit of going tiiordughly into the iiialti'r. Ueiilizing tliis, it was decided to start a large hors<'-breoding pbiit where nt least thirty brood mares would be kept and where, at times, over one hundred liend niiglit be availabli> for experimental purpos( s. TtIK ST. .IO\(lll\t IIOIISK KMIM. An excellent opimrtmiity aro-e for cuninienciiig this work on a co-opcra ' " re basis, whcrcliy not only would the Department enlist tin- cnrdial support and assistance of the horse-breeder, but would be able to in:ikc Un.iwii th<' i.>ults of the work iti th.' quickest and most direct way. The French Canadian Horse Breeders' Association has turned over to the Federal I)ei)artnieiit of Agriculture for a period of twenty years a farm having some ."^no acres under cultivation. The farm is locatnl at St. .Toacbiiii. le*s than 2.". miles cast of Quebec city on a good mucadamizid road and near a trolley station. The farm was inspected by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and the Director of Fxperimental Farms and pronounced very suitable fur the purpose. It is planned to conduct this as a horse fnnii. under the direct supervision of the superintenrlent of the Cap Kouge Station. Some thirty mares were bouylit, and these, together with about fifteen of the best mares at Cap Rouge, form the foundation stock from wlii-h it is hoped to regenerate the breed. .Vii opportunity will also be afforded to stud.v, m a fairly larsre scale, the various problems relating to the breed- inu'. feeding, hotising and management of horses. Tin: VM.ii: ok acci iuti: HDcoiiOs. There are two wny< of keeping track of lini'- ..I" aiice>try: by o!li,M:il pedigrees and by private records. OffiriiiJ pedifiri'i'x. (itfleial pedigrees nre v.^n] to fr-^-r- lineage, and :".nietinirs perforinnnre of ancestry, as in the case of rtinning hor-. s and dairy cattle. They are generally a guarantee of purity of breeding, but. to have value, they must be authentic and genuine. Hy autlieiitii'ity is meant the trtitbfulness of such 20 clitails ns dntc of l)irth, colour, reliUionsliii); whilst the Ki-nuini-ness refers to the non- ^'iilistitutioii of nn nniiiiul for nnother, as if a colt fr.im on oxtraordinarj- dam was replaced l),v one out of a couiinoii niaro. Tiioiiirb Hreed Societie-i and l.ive Stock Record Axociatioiis may correct certain iriis|ak<'s and detect some misrepresentations, it must he admitted that an otticial peD STALLIONS. There are several possible plans whereby farmers may obtain the use of good >tallions. In the past this matter has been conducted altogether by the Live Stoc'.i Hrdneh, Department of Agriculture, Ottawa. I ndoubtedly, a very good plan and that in most common use is as follows: — A number of farmers organize into a club fir the hiring of the very best avail- able stallion for use in tluir district during the M.i^on. These farmers, after making larefiil selection of lli horse, get into touch with the Live Stock firanch and receive therefrom. thrr;Ugh ^ ,' regular channels, assistance in the form of a bonus to the stallion owner. This bonus, in addition to the fees paid by those using the stallion, makes it worth the while of the owner to travel a high-class horse in the district in question. The stallion owner gets fair foes and the breeder exceedingly cheap ser- viee. rndouhtcdly high-class French-Canadian stallions will continue to commanil this privilege, as in the past, so that there will be no excuse for travelling a poor I'leinli-t iiiiadian horse. The stallions for sale from the ("ap Kouge Experimental Farm are undoubt«]ly of the highest quality and should be appreciated by stallion purchasers. 'l'liii>Uf;li the alxive plan of organiziiti hriH'ders may have hopes of getting, at a low fee, the services of these and similar first-class horses. IIIKINC OIT STALLIONS. Though colts and stallions ready for service will be sold, it might be thouiiht more desirable, from the dual standpoint of improving the French-Canadian breed find of gathering fiiUi r information in regards to hor^e breeding generally, to place good sires in localities where the raising of general puriH>se animals is {Kipular and especiall.v where there is a group of suitable mares. This is indirectly encouraging connnunity breeding which has been such a potent factor in live st'ick improvement and agricultural jirosperity. It will also give a 91 ciiiince to sff what tin- stalliuiis produce, to note how prepotent they are in trang- niittiiip ivrtiiiii ehuraiteri.stifs, aiul to get back to Cap Roupi> or to St. Joachin the ones which are thought capable either of correcting certain faults of the mares or of accentuating some of their jrood i)ua)ities. Horse breeding is a complex proposition at best, and too much light cannot be thrown on some of its intricate problems. This system of hiring out stallions has been a success for a great many years Ml Scotland, where it has contributed very much to the advancement of f'lydesdales. and there is no reason why it should not be given a more extended trial in Canada. .\n n!:riiMiH\iral society, a farmers' club, or even a group of men pay so much tor the use of a sire during a season, generally after having insured the horse again.st • idi'iits or death. Tliey liind themselves to take good care of the animni, not to lot him sirvo more tlian so uintiy times a day during a determineil per'od. also to refuse all mares which are not sound or which are known to be shy breeders. After the season, the stallion is returned to the owner and the rer.ponsibility of the people who hired him ceases. Thus, an agricultural soi-iety, a farmers' club, or a grou. of men who wish to get a stallion can inquire from tho parties who had him last, or even wait a year to see the foals, before hiring him. .\s the |ieople who had the horse are not financially interested in him. an unbiased opinion c:in bo had, whilst if they owned him. there might lie some chan<'e of jiraising him more than he deserved, of covering up some fault or other, so ns to get rid of him. All questions relating to horse breeding, feeding, care and management, etc., will be gladly discussed with you by the Superintendent of yonr nearest Experi- mental Farm. Why not write him about your problems?