Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-09
OLD MORGAN STOCK
Efforts Now Being Made to
Restore It.

Measures have been taken by the Secre-
tary of Agriculture, through the co-opera-
| ton of the Vermont Agricultural College at
Burlington, VT, to restore the bred of the
Morgan horse. This undertaking has been
made possible, according to Secretary Will
| son, by reason Of the appropriation of a
fund of $4,000 at the second session of the
Fifty-eighth Congress for experiments in
animal breeding in cooperation with state
agricultural stations. The work in general
is considered by the department one of the
! most noteworthy undertakings of the bu-
reau of animal industry. In the opinion
of the Secretary of Agriculture securing
the appropriation was in the main due to
the effort Of Senator Proctor of Vermont,
| and after the promising experiments at
Fort Collins Colorado, to establish coach
| breed the projected effort to re-establish
the Morgan breed is probably in accordance
|. with the senator's admiration for that
horse. Senator Proctor has, 1t Is said, had
several conferences with the Secretary and
the plan of operation has been perfected
and only awaits the cooperation of the
Burlington station. 1t has not been the
policy of the department, so far, in any
of Its animal breeding experiments to pro-
mote the interest of any particular breed
above others, nor have its plans been drawn
up with a view of dispacng any breed
already established, but the known excel
lence of the Morgan horse and its special
adaptablity to the climatic and topo-
graphical conditions of the eastern and
northern states make 1t important to pre-
serve the breed
The plan of procedure will, in all prob
ability, be a duplication of the methods
used at Fort Collins.
Foundation of Stock
For that experiment, after a thorough
search, the department has purchased as
foundation stock eighteen mares and one
stallion. In addition 1t can command the
services of additional stations if desired.
The instructions of the purchasing board
allowed considerable latitude, but It was
required to select strictly according to
type. Hereditary unsoundness was regarded
as a disqualification. Pedigree was not
considered so far as registration
cerned but the board required evidence to
be submitted showing that the animals
purchased were from parents and ances-
tors of like type thus insurng blood lines
that would breed reasonably true. Speed,
while not ignored, was not made essen
tial. Life spirit and energy, with moder-
ate speed, were considered, and, while con-
formation was not sacrificed to speed,
speed with conformation and good action
was regarded as an advantage.
The type for mares was one standing
about 1913 hands, weighing LOO to 1,150
pounds, bay, brown or chestnut in color,
with stylish head and neck full-made
body deep ribs, straight back strong loin.
straight, full Group, muscular forearms,
quarters and lower thighs; good all-round
action was insisted upon. Any tendency
to pace or mix gaits was regarded as
ground for disqualification. In some cases
mares of more than 1913 hands were pur-
chased, and in others they were less than
this. All, however, Conformed closely to
the type Some Of the mares are in fOal
the rest will be bred during the spring of
1905.
The ancestors of six mares purchased in
Wyoming have been bred for five or six
generations in that state. the band having
been started by means of an importation
of horses from the central west which
was largely of Morgan stock. On this
stock thoroughbred and standard sires
have been used, and the herd has devel-
oped more to produce horse suitable for
carriage purposes than one which had
speed characteristics.
According to Type.
In any breeding venture the first step
should be- according to the department, to
select foundation stock strictly according to
type; the next to study the lines of breed
ing which produce the horses IN question
II steps are not taken to mold the
blood of the Morgan horses into one
breed and preserve the blood lines which
produce them an irreparable loss will be
The result. Secretary Wilson Is sanguine,
as he puts 1t, that mares with notable Nor
gan characteristics will be found; for he
says, If they have really been extinguished
no process OF scientific and judicious breed
ing from selected sires and dams can re-
store them.
According to g. w. Parlin, the latest au-
thority on the American trotter, the cele-
brated Morgan stock sprung from Yer
mont Black Hawk" grandson of the
famouse horse, Justin Morgan. is only ex-
celled by the Rysdky's Hamletonian, the
Mambrino Chief and the Clay families. The
founder Of the family, he says, Justin Nor
gan was well bred. No horse that was not
we'll bred could accomplish what he did
from the class Of mares with which he must
have mated in the early days of Vermont.
No horse Of his time stamped his offspring
more strongly with his own characteristics
| or endowed his get with greater ability to
perpetuate those valuable qualities through
succeeding generations than did Justin Nor
gan. Probably no horse of his size ever
| lived that could pull SO heavy load as he
| or do 1t more cheerfully. Though of dimin-
utiye size he was giant In strength and
had the courage of Hon. yet he was as
dociIe as a lamb "f1e could Out-draw, out
walk, out-trot and out-run every horse that
was ever matched against him." These are
the characteristics that Secretary wilson
wishes preserved.
Morgan characteristics.
D. C. Linsley gives the Morgan charac-
teristics as follows:
The original Justin Morgan was about
fourteen hands high and weighed about 900
pounds. His color was dark bay with black
legn, name and tail He had no white hairs