Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-05-08

by inbreedlne 1t is utterly impossible to
produce breed. If proper selections
are made and defective animals weeded
out, size need not deterorate.
A very desirable thing in the matter
is to fix our type. This cannot be done
in any short period of time, and only by
a united effort of breeders to hold fast to
their best and each one select and breed
only their best in type. This means in
breeding, of course, and | feel certain
that this will be the short cut to get
type, size and speed.
These possibilities are all contained |
within the remnants of Morgan blood |
we still have, provided we do not out |
cross. | would much prefer to start
with small typical sire and dam, and |
breed with view of later getting both |
size and speed, than to start with size
and speed to work up to type. Get
type first, and size and speed are mat
tiers which time will work out to our
satisfaction.
Had this work been instituted 100
years ago, weImight now have had from
the IONS of Justin Morgan the greatest
breed of 100 to 1900 pounds, 15;l to
10 2 horses the world ever saw; yes,
and with speed enough to have still
held the worlds record.
TO get breeders into more unity, to
to make each one feel and understand
that there is something definite for them
all to work for and bring to a successful
issue, we frat need of all things a re-
vision of our rules of registration.
shall differ quite materially from the
views of Mr.. Gorham in regard to Mr..
Battel's attitude as concerns the regis
ter From what | know of Mr.. Battell,
am certain that the future of the Nor
gan horse is of great moment to him.
1t was pure admiration of the Morgan
horse which caused him to prosecute so
lab0riously and unremittingly his work
which has at last resulted in the present
register. The ultimate good of the
Morgan horse interest is still Mr.. Bat
tells greatest desire. His mOneyed in
terest in the register is really a second
airy matter to him, as | understand 1t.
He has no admirers more sensible of the
great value of his work than the breed
ers of Morgans of Illinois and other
Western States. There is a generally
expressed feeling of commentator
toward Mr. Battell for the great effort he
has made in behalf of the Morgan in
terest. do not think Mr.. Battell is at
all misunderstood. Still. there is hes
itation with many in regard to register
ing their stock because of the low stand
ard. : hey feel it is not nearly so valua-
BILE to them, or to Mr.. Battell, as it
would be were the rules revised to
greater requirement. There are now
hundreds of Morgans in the West still
unregistered, which certainly would be
were the rules amended. This is by no
means confined to the West. In the
Middle and Eastern States the same
state of things exists.
Now, from the standpoint of an in
yestment, is Mr.. Battell or the register
benefited by such an attitude of the
breeders: Would it not be much more
to the credit of the register and to the
profit of Mr. Battell were the rules of
registration raised to such plane as to
command the attention of breeders as
well as a high respect from the horse
world?
This miserable, paltry one-siXty fourth
of Morgan blood has been, and is, a
black eye to Morgan breeders. While
do not vet see how we can do without
the fraction, as safeguard against
terribly "watered stock, yet feel that
we should raise it to a higher denomIna-
tion and get rid of it at the earliest pos
sible opportunity. This opportunity to
drop out this fraction altogether is GER
tainly essential, and. in my opinion, the
addition of more dams in the require
ment is the most sure and rapid means
of its early accomplishment. For so
soon as we get where two or three dams
are required for registry, no other safe
guard is necessary.
feel certain the Morgan register will
never assume its true value with breed
ers until some action Is taken relative to
this question. The earnest and worthy
breeder quotes his register, and the
higher the standard the more influence
it eXerts upon a purchaser of stock.
Hence, with high standard, registry
becomes more and more a necessity /;
while, with low standard, he either
does not register at all or cares very lit
tie about mentioning the fact.
Both Mr.. Dunton and Mr.. Stewart in
their articles have shown very conclu-
siyely to my mind that our present rules
are wholly inadeouate and deficient.