NEW BREED OF DRAUGHT HORSES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, 11 April 1908, Page 5

NEW BREED OF DRAUGHT HORSES.

The lowa State Collie at Ames is coOperating with'the United States Goveitnment in a breeding experiment to establish a breed of grey draft horses. An ; importation of grey Shines and Clydesdales has .arrived at Ames, and they - are to .be- used as the-foundation stock in this work.:. - The- object. o! the ’experiment -is to - combine and' improve the qualities of. the highest excellence of each breed, so- far as possible, . and to ’eliminatevsome of the 'characteristics that ate; objectionable - from the American standpoint. .'.lt'4s"-.tlie"i!Dieiniidn .to combine the feet, Equality/ pasterns aiwl action of the ,01ydesdales r with the more ihassive proportions of the Shires and, while doing so, to establish'the grey'color and other essential characteristics ’which, will eventually .-lead- to the. development of an American breed of draught horses bettor adapted to bi the foreign - breeds. , •: >lt- is the opinion of - the best-informed horsemen, that the crossing of these breeds Will not be attended > with the usual uncertain-'results of cross-breeding, expri’iments, as they-have, practically the same origin and - have been’ bred along quite' similar - lines for many genera tione. La,wrence -‘ pfew, the most successful Clydtodaie breeder of his /time, unquestionably made-iise of. Shire; blood' ! in bis operations, and the famous sire Prince of Wales is generally considered 'to hay© had- a Shire dan). ’ Moreover, some of the . most noted show gelding seen in American show r rings.;in reoerit years have com- - bihed tho blood' of these two. breeds.

In adhering to -the grey. color there will be no racial departure from the original 'characteristics of these Breeds, as grey, has been a common, if not a prevailing, color ot .both breeds, and many , of; the spedmens/of each breed 1 , .are still. found amohg. the greys. Ih: is', the: popular draught horse;' colorpand other things ‘' .being equal, a grey geldinjg commands more money, on the, market 'than. .one of any Otheir orior. .. A study of blood : lines and draught types' decided' Secretary: Wilson; ;of the Uhited; States Department s of: Agricultuire, and Profs, Curtiss and Kenhedy/ of the lowa. State. ,College,' tq. select' the Shire and Olydosdale' breeds/for the beginning of the experiment, though some of the grey Percherph blood may •-possibly be used later in the progress of the experiment.