Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-01-27
THE BUSINESS HORSE.
From the Spirit of the Times, 1s41. ]

noticing the reply of "Hummocks" to my
former communication. That writer has
done more to excite than to satisfy curl
osity in relation to the present existence,
or the formation by breeding, of race
of "business horses He indeed men
tons variety known as the morgan
breed in Vermont, possessing the de-
sired properties; and | much regret that
he was not able to communicate their
pedigree, and the course of breeding by
which those properties were obtained.
He will soon, hope, be enabled to sup
ply this information.
But if the Morgan horses are al
ready bred to the proper point, and if
they exist, as your correspondent says,
as "distinct breed" why does he think
that "the produce of the mares which
such stallion as Abdallah might do
more to perpetuate their qualities than
to breed from their stallons?" If the
maxim be true that like begets like,
would it be iudicious breeding to risk a
cross, where you could obtain the desired
qualities in a sire and dam mot too
nearly allied) of the same breed? A
cross may improve the peculiar qualities
of an existing breed, it may restore the
properties of a family impaired by too
close breeding, but is it not paradoxical
to say that it would be more likely to
perputate the peculiar inherent charac-
teristics of breed Gin the proper signi-
fication of the term) than by nterbreed-
ing between thoroughbred sires and
dams of that breed?
These remarks are thrown out in no
hypercritical spirit, but to draw the at
tention of your correspondent more
definitely and particularly to points in
relation to which 1 shall proceed to
inquire.
Does "Hummocks" speak advisedly in
pronouncing the Morgan horses, a
distinct breed? Has their blood flowed
long enough and unmxedly enough in a
certain channel-are their characteristics
sufficiently identical and sui generis
stamped upon the whole, to entitle them
to the designation of "breed"-or are
they simply a subvariety or family pro-
duced perhaps by interbreeding more
or less remotely between descendants of
some particularly good horse who strong
lyimpressed his qualities on his Offspring,
and subsequently kept up and perhaps
improved for a generation or two by
breeding with Il horse or horses possess
ing the same class of eXcellences? The
remark in relation to Abdallah would
lead one to infer the latter, and if such
be the fact, HIS suggestion is in theory
correct. 1t would in the first place be a
departure from that in and in course of
breeding, which usually ruins these
families which obtain so much local
celebrity; and, secondly, it is sound doc
trine to look to Abdallah, Bellfounder.
ETC., to aid in migrating the qualities
they themselves possess, on a variety
now attempting to be established in
reference to the same class of qualities.
The Importance of determining wheth-
{
breed, or simply a variety or family, lies
in this. If they are a fixed and well-de-
fined breed, with properties so stamped
by time and breeding that we can uniform
ly look for their reproduction Chat is to
the same extent we can in other thor
oughbred stock in animals of the pure
blood-and if "Hummocks" has Judged
them correctly-then the object of our
inquiry is fully obtained-we have found
the "horse of all-wOrk." A desderatum
of the last Importance to our country is
answered by this most fortunate and OBJ
perfume discovery. But if they are sim
ply variety, however excellent may be
their individual or family character, the
work is but begun. The start may be an
suspicious one; but so have been multi
tude of Others, coming within the range
of my own observation, which have end
ed in complete failure. Such local fami-
lies, possessing first-rate qualities, are
not uncommon. As | have before re-
marked. they are almost invariably by in
and in breeding between the descendants
of a particular horse. 1t is their direct
consanguinity, which gives them that
identity of characteristics. which is mis-
taken for the established feature of per-
manent breed. All goes well as long as
in and in breeding can be persisted in;
when that point is passed, when you
must resort to new blood to keep up the
size, the vigor, and the good qualities
with which you started, then comes 'the
rub" Blackwell died before taking such
cross with his celebrated new Leicester
cattle, but the point had arrived, and his
successors lacking boldness to attempt
it, or the skill to accomplish it success
fully, the celebrated cattle passed away
like dream. Charles Colling, the great
breeder of Short Horns, furnishes us with
an opposite example. His Galloway cross
probably saved his celebrated breed (for
. l. n.