By Guy Miller.
The lay of the land in Orange County, hills and valleys, with the farms divided in such a manner that each one has a proportion of high uplands, as well as low meadows, enables the breeder to tide over wet as well as dry seasons.
If the season is wet for the low meadows, the uplands make luxuriant growth, and in a season of drought the lowland pastures and meadows can be depended upon for a good supply. The writer has farmed forty-two years at his home farm and there has never been a season when grass has really failed for animals at pasture or for hay making.
In seeding land in Orange County, timothy, red-top and the clovers have been the principal seeds used in the past. In time these run out, giving way to grasses that appear natural to this section, viz., June grass, white clover and Seneca grass. These varieties start growing early and continue late, thus making the pasturing season a long one. Cut for hay, the quantity of the latter is not equal to that first mentioned, yet the quality is considered far superior.
Orange County being well watered in addition to its abundant supply of the best natural grasses, makes it an ideal horse-breeding section.
Imported Messenger appears to have been the fountain-head of the highest type of the American light harness horse.
Imp. Messenger was in service at Goshen in 1801. Jonas Seely, Sr., of Oxford, had a large strong mare of great endurance known as Black Jin, and this mare bred to Imp. Messenger produced Silver Tail.
In 1814, the son of Imp. Messenger, known as Hambletonian, made the season in Goshen, yet on certain days of each week was taken to Florida for service. Silver Tail was bred to Hambletonian and produced One Eye, the latter a grand animal and fast trotter for her day.
When Imp. Belfounder was in service at Washingtonville, the season of 1832, Josiah Jackson, of Oxford, owned One Eye, and bred her to that horse, producing a mare that was a high-class trotter, and is known as the Charles Kent mare.
The Charles Kent mare had passed through the hands of several owners to Jonas Seely, of Sugar Loaf. On June 5, 1848, he bred her to Abdallah and on May 5, 1849, a bay colt with a small star and white hind ankles, was born.