Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-08-24

hundred years has survived, ana tOuay
has vigorous representatives despite the
miscellaneous breeding necessarily con-
sequent on the absence of any stud
book and any standard.
There is reason for this survival in the
comparative Isolation of the localities to
which this stock is indigenous. What
| little foreign blood came in was absorbed
quickly, and left little impression ON
either pedigree or stock.
Perhaps more potent to this end was
the abiding faith passed down by tradi-
ton aud strengthened by experience,
that only the Morgan sire was fit to
father The horse which should be equal
to every emergency. This the small
| New England breeder learned, and
| learned so well that even the blighting
passion for trottng stock only locally
stole his good sense.
These influences, while adequate to
preserve this blood from extinction un-
/ der conditions AS they have been, have
/ in later years operated with diminishing
/ force, because the Morgan j. now com
peting with better stock; and they, of
course, failed to establish such a COM
mon standard as might lead to uniformi-
ty in the animals bred, so that while
there is TO a greater or less extent con-
sanguinity in Morgans today they differ
most widely in style. temper and quality.
The times imperatiVely demand the
safeguard of a register and concerto
action based thereon, for this family Is
now threatened by competition with
other, as yet. quasi breeds, which are
only the incipient efforts to meet the de-
mand for choice road horses, but which
are certain to be matured with intelli-
gent persistency and to fight for first
favorS in the open market. The easy
superiority of the Morgans in the past
could not be expected to continue in
these days of improving stock, under
the careless conditions of breeding
hitherto holding.
1t is nowadays "A question between in
telligence and knowledge and skill of
breeders. which breed survives, and Il
stud book embodying the experience of
the past has become prime necessity
to the existence Of any prime stock. In
Mr.. Battells book the question is fairly
before the breeders of the country,
whether they will gather together into
the horse called for today the too-long
neglected virtues of these old fav0rites.
The plan offers a legitimate problem in
breeding aud is feasible if intellgently
pursued by enough breeders i'm harmony
with each other and pursuing a mutually
accepted standard which has fixed
type as its goal.
1t will probably be generally agreed
that no American family of horses at
fords better foundation stock in which
to develop the idea! American roadster
ana general utility horse. Here is a
field as yet not occupied by any breed
in this country. The runner we have,
and we can reproduce him at will. The
trotting horse we have, and we know
with an assurance bordering on certain
ly from what families comes his trot-
ting Inheritance. The draught horse
has an ancestral stream interrupted and
certain. The polo pony has his book of
heraldry, and soon the type and blood
will be settled. The saddle horse no
longer has an unknown father or an un-
known mother, but is bred in blood
lines.
Even men of wealth and fashion have
for drag and cart the fixed type, whose
virtues of style and figure for the field
of their abOrs must be conceded. But
the true roadster for effective use on
highway and hill. giving cheerful and
safe service to man and woman, with
qualities uplifting the common blood
with which it mixes to higher general
usefulness, we have not. This is the
field and this the problem for the small
breeder of today. Here the battlefield
of breeding for the next few years.
The issue has been deferred by the con-
tinental malady to breed speed.
1t is in this competition that the Nor.
gan is speedily to be exalted or speedily
40 he lost. The next ten years is to he
more important to him than the past 100.
He cannot rely on the prestige of his
ancestors. There is bur one test of fit
ness Of Il breed to survive. and that is
the ability to market the stock bred.
There is but one test of a successful
breed, and that is the value of the in
dividual when offered for sale against
others intended for the same kind of
service.
1t is matter of grave doubt whether
the average endurance and courage of
present Morgan stock might not be
greatly increased by a iudcious new in
fusion from their old source of glory, the
thoroughbred. This it was that made
them the great roadsters of the old stage
days More have fallen from that
standard than their friends could wish.
Our own belief is that the blood of
lroquOiS, Salvador, or Sir Walter, with
their heart and lungs and bone and
muscle, most of all their courage, might
be made new baptism of power to the
Morgan family These are matters of
detail to be settled hereafter. The es-
sential consideration now is, will Nor
gan lovers work TO common standard
will they create large, courageous,
well-tinshed. docle,
strengthened, hardy, road animal, and
will they be liberal enough to seize the
virtues of other families of horses by
crossing if by so dong they can aug
ment the excellent qualities of their
favOrites? In the answer to these ques-
tions, it seems to me, lies the test of the
permanent value of the Morgan Register, |
for in these lines must be determined |
the continued popularity of the horses /
whose achievements it heralds and |
whose future it prophesies.
QUARTERsTBETCH
DESERVES MARKED CONSIDERATION.
Last week was DrOmiSed n more eX-