The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-11-28

and with enough OF the typical and
approximately pure bred Morgans
left, the perpetuation of the breed is
possible.
Some seven or eight years ago the
late Redfeld Proctor, United States
Senator from Vermont, an admirer of
the Morgan breed realizing that the
Morgans were fast becoming extinct
through reckless and unscientific
breeding methods, succeeded in hav-
ing the United States Department OF
Agriculture undertake what he In
tended should be the preservation of
the breed. The record Of the work at
the Departments experiment station
in the line of breeding Morgan horses
at Weybridge, VT, is set forth In the
Departments circulars 1877, published
in 1906, and 1863, published in 1910.
Senator Proctor did not live TO sup
eryise this work, and II is the belief
Of some who knew him well that the
methods now employed by the Gov
eminent are, to a large Xtent those
which be had recognized as destruc-
tive Of the breed.
AT any rate the govern
ment farm az Weybridge has
not won the confidence of many Of
those who hoped with Senator Proc
tor that the Government might sue
coed in perpetuating the Morgan
breed. The issue Is drawn with rea-
sonable clearness in the two Depart
ment circulars above referred to and
an article In the New England Far.
mer (Brattleboro, Nt) Of April ..
1910. II presents the Department, on
the one hand, endeavoring TO breed a
horse of Mongan mixed with other
blood. 15la hands in height. bearing a
resemblance TO the Morgan cOuforma-
ton and being what is termed a
heavy harness horse" as against
the perpetuation Of the small, typical.
old fashioned Morgan of strictly Nor
gan hood. The aim OF the Depart
ments undertaking Is high While II
recognizes the futility OF trying 10 get
extreme track speed from the Morgan
Il still would stick 10 the hitherto
losing game OF getting greater size
with Morgan conformation. Outcross-
ing has not been eliminated and
much of the Governments breeding
stock has no great amount OF Morgan
blood or type For the Government
TO succeed in the undertaking would
be n large achievement, but TO term
the undertaking "the preservation OF
our native types OF horses" as the
Department does. is quite inaccurate.
At all events the Government under
taking Is not the preservation Of the
Morgan breed II breed means blood
and fixed type.
Proceeding on other lines are a
group OF breeders who have associat-
ed themselves into what Is called the
Morgan Horse Club. an organization
whose purpose Is TO perpetuate the
Morgan breed OF horses by preserving
the original blood and type rather
than by effort TO bring about improve
ment or change in size. speed or
other features" The average Amer
though probably indefinite thoughts
OF progress and improving this or
that breed. might disagree with the
purpose OF this club.
The answer is that the breed oi
Morgans has been going down hill
through stupid mongrelizing until the
number OF pure bred Morgans Is few
that experience has shown that the
breed cannot be converted into some
thing larger or faster. that II II is e
be saved It must be through the judi
cious lnterbreeding Of the pure bred
typical specimens that remain, and 81
strengthening instead OF dlluting th'
blood The work OF the Morgan Horse
Club win be hard enough. but Il Il
scientific, and Il should succeed Thu
present plan OF the Department 4
still harder TO carry out, and thi
century will be old when the work 4
done.
The desirability OF preserving IN
Morgan breed. whether In its ancien
type or In some larger form whlc
many would prefer. Is generally rec
ognzed. The Morgan blood. as I
we'll set forth In the government pub
llcations and other standard work
on American horses. has been Of IN
oalculable value In building up tn
worldwide regulations OF the Amer
can trotter and the Kentucky saddle
horse-two types OF horses that 4
. comparatively recent years may pei
haps be said 10 have assumed tn
rank OF breeds. In the breeding q
carriage horses OF size larger tina
the Morgans the Morgan blood ha
, also been used with great advantag,
/ These uses OF the Morgan bloc,
, wholly apart from the utility OF Mo
, gans as individuals. point 10 tho vii
, dom OF preserving the breed for sin
! liar uses IN tho future. Whether IN
. breed should or can be converted int
Z something larger or whether Il
/. safer TO stand by what always ha
lbeen the normal Morgan type Is IN
point on which the breeders OF MOI