Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1910-11-30

decidedly unfair to the purely bred
Morgan to have a horse who resembles
him in many ways, even labeled a
Morgan horse, for the Morgan virtues
have been proven to be transmitted by
inheritance only. and Just as good"
virtue is always counterfeit. To as
sumo virtue if you have it not makes
for better department in men and wom-
en-, but fails when we assume quail
ty for an animal.
Much has been said about the Morgan
horse farm at Middlebury. for this
farm is maintained by the Government
for the purpose of restoring this breed.
and is an important arm of the Agri-
cultural Department. The Bureau of
Animal Industry has been severely
criticized by the true Morgan horse
lovers, because they have so few we'll
bred Morgans, and the pedigrees of
these few show wide avenues of differ
ent blood. Even the stallion who
heads the stud has so small percent
age of Morgan blood that the genuine
Morgan horsemen would not breed to
him. This horse is an Individual of
merit, but to expect from him with
his pedigree anything but mongrel
breeding is impossible. Why this
should be so when there are few
purely bred Morgans to be obtained,
as evinced by the state fair of 1910 is
a question put to the Department and
is answered by the statement that
while it is true some purely bred Nor
cans are to be found. the owners prize
them so highly that they are out of the
reach of the purse of Uncle Sam.
This is poor economy.
The taxpayer can better afford to pay
for the support of small stud farm of
the best obtainable specimens of in
bred Morgans than to maintain an ex-
detrimental farm where we find again
the sanguine hope to eventually pro-
duce "just as good" horse, but which
can never be anything but counter
felt. Every finely bred Morgan stall
lion or mare should be bought and
owned either by the government or
many all told and the entire number
would not cost Uncle Sam what Italy
or Germany have paid for breeding
purposes for single horse. Every
American should know that we have
national horse, one who combines more
sterling qualities than any other breed.
Vermont might we'll make it an issue
of her own. Her rugged hills and her
climate have produced the horse, and
at this late day she can still restore
the breed if she refuses to experiment
in breeding. Some few men of means
and horse lovers have kept their Nor
gan breeding carefully free from out
side crossing for the past thirty years,
breeding for their Individual pleasure
and also some Of the wise men from
out of the west, quick to grasp the
best, whether it be in methods of agri
culture or in live stock have today
some splendid specimens. Some of this
stock will show ISL hands which
would indicate that the care and more
comfortable quarters than the earlier
horses knew have added full hand to
the hard-worked little Morgan of the
half century ago. America can chal-
lenge the world to produce bis equal
as a utility horse, and if Justin Nor
gan was an Arabian descendant, as We
must believe he was, his Oriental
characteristics have blended so well
with the blood it came In contact
with that a composite horse was the
result, which developed, under the
stern discipline Of those early Yer
mont famers, a character and quail
ty not before or since surpassed.
Good, clean limbed. deep chested,
meet nOrS6H6Sn LnaC is long IEVeG anu
healthy is what the man needs who
keeps one horse for his family; what
the farmer needs for his all-round
work, paying his own board and sur
plus added for his owner, working
hard six days and on Sunday sedate-
ly taking the family for the Afternoon,
drive and when once a year he is
carefully brushed up and rested lit
tie he adds to the gaiety of nations by
winning the purse at the browning
event of the year, the horse race at
at the county fair; what the
gentleman whip needs for his
team, horses willing and anxious for
the thlrty-miie spin at a brisk trot +;
what the man on the speedways Of the
world needs, roadsters of quality and
endurance as we'll as speed, and all
these characteristics are the heritage
by birth of the Morgan horse.
The feeling evinced by the people
of Vermont present at the state fair
this year, in reviewing their Morgan
! horses, should be contagious and not
bound by state lines. Americans one
and all should be proud of him. and
claim all glory for him as our national
| horse.
Yours truly,
H. c.. K.