Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-02
BREEDS FINE HORSES
Department Of Agriculture
Conducts Two Stations.
ISSUES REPORT OF WORK
Results Of Governments Efforts Be-
ginning to Tell.
WHAT Is BEING DONE ABROAD
Building Up the Morgan Strain
Standard Carriage Animal, Pos
sessing a Distinctive Type.
ISSUES REPORT OF WORK
WHAT Is BEING DONE ABROAD

Results. 1t Is explained, are just be-
ginning to show we'll from the incursion
Of the government into the horse-breeding
field. The Department Of Agriculture.
which has been at work in this line for
the past four years. now issues a re-
port OF the work at the two government
stations. One is In Colorado and the
other In Vermont. The first was estab-
lished in 1904 and the other. while dis
cussed in 1905. was not actually started
until 1905
| European governments have paid great
| attention to horse breeding for many
years. Germany spends much money on
| the national stud, and France devotes
more than a million dollars annually to
animal breeding. most of which goes to
the horse stations. France has one great
central station and forty or fifty smaller
stations throughout the country in easy
The result Is an improvement In the
national standard In horses and a big
export business.
England produces many fine horses, es-
| work Is almost altogether In the hands
Of private breeders. and the government
spends little or nothing on it.
Standard Breed Lacking.
In this country there has never been
There have been many fine animals pro-
duced and some exported. but the i'm
ported stock has been generally consid-
cred the real thing. However, a few
years ago the government awoke to the
| fact that many Of the prize winning
horses In the great shows were from
American stock and another thing was
| noticed-that the Morgan horse, one OF
the standard strains. was dying out. So
- ~Ho xAH nit Is,
| preparation. and, as stated. now has two
| small stations. The farmers Of the states
where the breeding stations are located
show an interest in the work, and the
| states themselves contribute for por-
tio.1 Of the expense. From the interest
displayed, II Is regarded as likely that
| the work will spread to other states. and
there Is said to be no reason why. In
| the course Of time. the government stud
In this country should not be the equal
In it's way OF anything abroad.
At, the Colorado Station.
In the Colorado experiment station this
year there are thirty-five mares and their
| foals. The stallion Is Charmon. formerly
known as Glorious Thundercloud, one of
Tom Lawson's famous four-in-hand team.
The head OF the Vermont stud 10 Gen.
Gates. a true-bred Morgan and sire of
the second horse In the stud. Red Oak.
| The Morgan Is not a race-horse strain.
and for that reason was comparatively
| neglected by the breeders and was being
obscured by constant crosses when res
cued by the department. Justin Morgan.
! the prosenitor OF the line. was foaled
In 1850. Not much IL known about his
| ancestry, but 1t must have included good
horses. Justin Morgan himself was not
large and would scarcely have been
noticed were IT not that he proved SO
potent Ia producing good horses. the
| strain being dominant wherever intro
duced
Fifty Years the Start.
| The Morgan line had fifty years the
start of the Hambeltonians and Dem
marks, the foundation sires Of the present
standardbreds and the American saddle
horse. But there were such possibilities
Of speed in the Hambeltonian that he
was crossed on the Morgan line. In the
hope of producing great speed. He trans
mitted speed. and undesirable conforma-
| ton a. well. and in the craze for speed
the good points of the Morgans were
almost obliterated.
The standard carriage horse is being
produced now. however. and the aim of
| the government Is to set q high standard
In q light harness horse OF sunhcient speed
and great endurance. together with good
] conformation. The effect Of saddle-horse