Report of the governor general of the Philippine Islands. [1908]

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE. 307
TRINIDAD STOCK FARM.
LOCATION.
This farm is located in the Little Trinidad Valley, 6 kilometers north of
Baguio. Being at a high elevation, the climate is well suited to the American
horses kept for breeding purposes.
WATER SUPPLY.
The water for the stock is secured from a small spring near the barns, which
during very dry seasons does not furnish enough water therefor. If the number
of stock kept there is to be increased, some means will have to be devised to
secure a water supply from a small river back of a small ridge from the house.
OPERATIONS.
Considerable attention has been given during the year to the establishment
of permanent pasture grasses in lieu of the native, which die so readily during
the dry season. A number have been planted, including Guinea grass, paspalum
dilatatum, red clover, Dutch clover, oats, and Bermuda grass. The latter has
given by far the best results as a pasture, while oats in the warmer season
promise heavy yields of green forage.
The work has continued along the same lines mentioned in the last annual
report. The lines of breeding include American and native horses, native cattle
with imported bulls, Shropshire sheep, and Angora goats.
About 100 acres of unoccupied public domain in the Trinidad Valley adjacent
to the Trinidad farm were fenced in to be used as a breeding pasture for outside stock. The plan has been to put pregnant mares and cows therein, and
as soon as they have foaled or calved they were bred to the American sires
kept at the farm by this bureau. It is this system which is.largely responsible
for the increased amount of breeding during the year.
LIVE STOCK.
One of the notable features has been the increased interest taken by the
natives, especially the Igorots, in breeding their pony mares to the imported
stallions kept at this farm. The number of mares bred increased from about
10 per month in October to more than 70 in March, which included return
services.
In this connection the superintendent of the farm has castrated about 100
native stallions. If continued a few years, this will permanently establish the
custom of castrating the native ponies instead of working them as stallions.
The live stock on hand at the end of the year consisted of 4 imported stallions, 11 imported mares, 27 native mares, 17 colts (American half-breeds and
native) over 1 year old, 15 sucklings, 16 mature burros, 6 burro colts, 1
American jack, 2 imported bulls, 2 grade bulls, 34 native cows, 11 steers, 11
heifers, 9 work bullocks, 21 calves, 4 Angora goats, and 10 Shropshire sheep.
All of this stock has kept in good condition, and the losses by accident, such
as falling over cliffs, has decreased as compared with former years.
During the year 2 American thoroughbred colts have reached maturity and
have been broken to harness. While they are not of ideal type, they are the
first production of the farm, and show the possibility of raising horses in this
vicinity. A number of colts of pure American blood, half-breeds sired by Morgan or Arabian stallions out of native mares, and a few full native colts are
coming to maturity, and will be broken to harness during the coming fiscal
year. They appear promising, and it is to be hoped that some of them will
prove valuable breeding stock for the future work of this bureau.
The burros, which did very badly for the past two years, seem to be doing
much better now. The large jack from Missouri is being used on some of
them in the hope of breeding smaller sized, suitable for mule breeding with the
native mares in these islands.
The native cows bred to Galloway and Devon bulls have produced a good
crop of calves, of which we now have three generations at this farm. A few
of the older heifers have reached breeding age, are strikingly like their sires,
and are being bred to imported bulls. As soon as'this class of cattle increases
sufficiently the original native cows will be sold.
The Angora goats imported from Australia have continued to do well. They
have been provided with shelter and have not shown the bad effects of the