Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-06-27
Some Point. on Breeding!
Spirit of til. West-From the ohscrv

Spirit OF tbs WeSt-From the Obserya-
tory of Pixies Peak.
In looking over this broad land, and
observing the order of things, | notice
a great interest in the breeding of
hne horses; but am sorry to say the
principl': practiced most promiscious-
", is done devoid of any principle or
law by which;to be governed. 1 claim
the dominant characteristics of a
horses ancestors is the basis to de-
termine the value of a stock horse.
II The ancestors lack In size, have no
natural gait, bad headed and no uni
formity In speed, although there NAV
possibly be one or two per cent of
them fair race horses, but remember.
II the faulty characteristics prevail.
such horse is failure as a stock
horse. And If, on the other hand.
the dominant characteristics are good
Size, good actors, good headed, good
conformation and race horses, such
qualities prevail, such horses must
and will produce the qualities of his
ancestors, for it Is the Interchangeable
law OF nature. In selecting stock
morse, to be mated with a certain
mare, how little are the dominant
characteristics considered. Here is a
very nice, clever young man who has
what he thinks a great mare, he has
had but little experience in the breed
Ing problem, so he consults his Uncle
John; Uncle John has friend that
mas patted him on the back, who tells
MIN we'll now John you can help me
with my horse a little. Oh, to be sure.
SO John says to his friend, breed your
mare to such horse, he is the best
morse In town and that settles it.
Probably the horse has no right, by
The laws OF inheritance, to be worth
anything as stock horse. Another
man making selection finds horse
understood, mixed gated, no natural
gait, his sire faulty, and turned down
as failure as stock horse. Yet this
little fellow, with hobbies on, gets a
pacing mark Of 2:lS or 2:2O and he NAV
be little beauty, and the prevailing
characteristics of his ancestors are
understood, no natural gaits, no
uniformity in speed, but the record.
With the influence of some Uncle or
some one that is anxious to help the
owner OF the horse says breed to that
morse for he's a goer, and that finishes
the deal. attended a County Fair
al one time, was Sitting in the grand
stand looking on when, 10 and behold,
mere comes pair Of little blacks, two
or three years old would judge from
their Size, gait and action that they
were not over two, but they were both
olack and wore white cotton harness.
They were black as Newfoundland ,
DOG and had just as good action. N
think If any difference they could trot
FASTER than the usual dog-one of them |
was ankle locked. But most of the
people would not NOTICE that, as the
attraction of the harness would cover
that up, especially for the good ladies.
! heard one say, looking up into
Jimmy's face, "Oh, aren't they pretty,
l wish you would breed Dolly to the
sire OF them darlings." 1t was a kind
OF Lillipution show for the benefit
OF the Sire, and If left entirely to the
good ladies think it would have
helped him. Two gentlemen sitting
close by me, one says how much are
they worth? Oh, if they live to be
i've years old In good condition they
might bring sixty dollars piece.
Well think you have it high enough. |.
one OF them is ankle locked and
neither one has a bit Of action or
travel. RutJimmy penciled the name
u she Sire for Dolly nextseason. And
10 goes the world!
CONSTANT READER.