Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-03-22

national department OF agriculture Is Une
effort to improve the American horse.
1t interests the farmers and horse breed |
ers of the whole country, but is of special
interest to New England and to Spring
field. because the key of the plan is the
improvement of the Morgan strain. While
the effort is general no other one family
save the Morgan breed is receiving dis
tinct attention. Not only has the Nor
gan horse for over a century been one
of the great prides of Vermont but, as
those familiar with equine history will
remember, the Morgan line dates back
to the year 1888 when its progenitor,
the famous stallion Justin Morgan. was
foaled in West Springfield. An addition
al element of timely interest is lent by
the fact that within few weeks, Joseph
Battell of Middlebury, VT, the we'll
known horse breeder, author and bonl-
face who spends his winters in Washing
ton, has signed deeds making over to the
national government free of cost beau
tiful farm of 400 acres at Wevbridge,
Addison county, Vt, which is to be used
as government stock farm for the bet
ter development of the Morgan horse.
Two years ago Congress furnished the
first means for improving the American
horse by appropriating S25, 900 for investi-
cations in animal breeding and feeding
in connection with the State agricultural
experiment stations. Last year the APP
preparation was repeated and the session
which has Just ended increased the
amount to $50, 000 1t was decided in
1905 that scientific horse breeding was
the most important line of work which
could be taken up under this appropria-
ton and that policy has since been con-
tinued. 1t was felt that not only was
there shortage of horses but that their
breeding in America had been harmed by
unwise methods, particularly by the speed
mania which has led to the breeding of
unsound and unstable animals without
actually achieving so much speed as
might have been secured by proceeding
along more scientific lines.
In the various countries of the world
where horse breeding has been encour-
aged by government assistance the foun-
dation has been native stock and the key
to successful work has been selection
according to a certain type. With all
respect to Godolphin Arabian, the OAR
lev Arabian and their contemporaries
the great factor in developing the thor
oughbred horse was the method of the
English breeder, and more credit is due
to native English stock and to environ
ment than has generally been acknowl-
edged.
What the thoroughbred horse is to the
Englishman, the trotting horse is to the
American; the breeds are the national
horses of their respective countries, and,
as the thoroughbred has been the great
eavenng power in developing English
breeds of light horses, the trotter may
bear the same relation to the horse stock
of America. The trotter is found through
out the country wherever horses are
raised and any improvement in this breed
affects in time the entire horse industry.
The light market classes can be supplied
from this source, and there is no more
effective way to provide supply of suit
able cavalry horses for the United States
army than by showing how the native
horse NAV be improved.
That the trotter has faults no one vii
deny, and that the speed mania has beer
e. responsible for many of these faults, anC
has caused many man to become bank
rupt is equally certain. If horse car
trot in 2:10 or better, it is reasonably
assured that he will make money for hi
owner, and it matters not how hOmell
. or unsound he may be; but if the hors
has bad looks and is unsound, and als'
lacks speed, he will be Improbable OF
the track and cannot be sold at a profit
able price on the market, while. if useC
/ in the stud, his undesirable qualities ar
perpetuated. The fact that less than one
half of per cent of the registered horse
in America can trot in 2:l0 shows hov
great gamble is the breeding for speed
alone. On the other hand, if the hors
has moderate speed, but is sound, hand
v some and stylish, with shapely hea
II and neck, straight, strong back, straigh
Group, muscular quarters and stiles, wei
set legs, possesses good all-round tru
e action, and has abundant endurance, h
. is almost certainly profitable inves
ment. This is the kind of light hors
which the market wants and will pa
for. If of the roadster type, he sci
we'll as driver; if more on the heav
harness order, as carriage horse.
l In view of these facts, the agricultur
y department decided to undertake the d
velopment of breed of carriage hors'
al, IN A r,,orican foundation "a an into