The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-10-14
CLUB CRITICIZES
MORGAN BREEDING
Drastic Suggestions Made for Conduct
of Government Morgan Horse Farm
at Weybridge.


vet unknown. Since the letter was writ
ten several prominent horsemen have
written the committee commencing their
stand. The text of the letter:
United States Department of Agriculture,
Bureau of Animal Industry,
Washington, ID. c.
Dear Sirs: /
Through your DIR. j. r. Mohler, chief |
of Bureau, the Morgan Horse club was
very kindly invited to appoint COM
mittee to meet with the representatives
of the department of agriculture to con-
slider future plans for your Morgan horse
work. In response to this invitation, Z.
A. Darling, president of the Morgan
Horse club, appointed Major Chas. A.
Benton, III. r. Lawrence, and c. c. Still
man. This committee had the pleasure
of meeting with the Honorable Carl
Vrooman, assistant secretary of agri-
culture, Dir. j. r. Mohler, chief of bu-
reau, and g. A. Bell, acting chief, animal
husbandry division, at the United States
Morgan horse farm, Nliddlebury, Yer
mont, on Monday the 18th of May, 1918.
We wish, first of all, to thank you for
all the courtesies extended to us upon
that occasion. We were afforded ample
opportunity to see all the horses, to
learn their pedigrees, and to ask as many
questions as we chose.
OF the twelve stations, four years old
or over, which we saw shown on the
halter, we liked best the following three:
/. Troubadour of Willowmore, 6459
Sire: Troubadour, 5l25
Dam: Fanny I'd Vol. III p. 47S1
2. Donlyn, $40
Sire: Donald, 1924
Dam: Chestnut Vol. III p. 450)
10. Dundee, 6479
Sire: Meteor I'd, 1850
Dam: Carrie Gates Vol III p.
| We consider these three stations the
purposes on the United States Morgan
horse farm at Mddlebury, VT. We rec
ommend that the other nine stations
which we saw be disposed of, or used
| for some other purpose While some of
them are doubtless fine individuals, they
are decidedly out of place on farm de-
voted to the breeding of Morgan horses.
| The names of these nine stations which
we would discard at once are as follows:
/. General Gates, 666.
.. Scotland, 525l.
3 Sealskin.
a. Bennington, 5693.
8 Hamlet
6. Hugo 700l.
/. Hopeful.
s. Jetmore
g. Forester.
OF the brood mares, we liked best
Eudora Vol. III. p. 474l, Sunfower Maid
! (Nol. III, p. 6l3l, and Babe Vol. Ill, p
42lD, the dam of Eudora About one
half of the brood mares we saw on the
farm were sired by General Gates. 666
We would Gull these out courageouslN
land keep only few of the best, such a,
Eudora.
Among the immature stock. we wer,
much interested in a 1917 foal Kings
land, sired by Hamlet, and out of Eudora
the sire and dam being full brother ant
, sister. The result of such intense in
breeding will bear watching by all hors
breeders. We saw nothing especiall,
| noteworthy among the other younj
horses
We recommend that the department o
agriculture should discontinue at ono
breeding with horses which have in then
the blood of Ellen Vol III. p AID o
, the blood of Marguerite Vol. III, !
{ 5521. We believe that the inheritanc
t from these two mares is so harmful tina
/ it should be allowed to die out as rapid
ly as possible.
{ As for the future, we hope that
policy may be adopted and consistentl
1 followed which viii breed the Morga
4 horse as pure as possible. If the govern
ment decides not TO do this. we recon
: mend that the breeding of horses be dis
e continued on its farm at Middlebury
: Vermont. We cannot approve of an
policy with introduces outside bloc
' under the false notion of Improving
t the Morgan. Neither do we approve c
retaining for breeding purposes any il
n dividual which is undesirable in si7
V (either too small or too largel or othe
4 qualities, simply because its pedigree
|. attractive. We believe that BY amp
n feeding and intelligent mating type {
= Morgan horse can be reproduced toda,
: keeping strictly inside the breed whic
!. in size, stamina, and beauty will be a
|. ideal general utility horse, and also OF
G useful for remount purposes.
If those in charge of the United State
e Morgan horse farm at Middlebury. VI
u SuNll We hlION ludl Il
l. members of the Morgan Horse club wi
) pledge to you their loyal support and c,
e operation. We feel sure that You ma
obtain free the services of any of the
Is Morgan stations. We urge that a con
II mittee of horsemen from the departmei
is of agriculture visit the farms where Mo
he gan horses are being bred pure today
D. We believe our government should b
sr gin at once to put in operation son
IS more extensive scheme of cooperate
ID horse breeding with the farmers of tn
Il country. it is no longer profitable f
III the farmer to raise horses alone, and o,
st government ought to take the necessal
III steps now to assure to it sufficient su
i'll lply of horses for military purposes
ne time of war. We see no reason why
e. horse suitable for army purposes cam
We also be useful for the farmer in tin
ed of peace. We believe the Morgan to
at the type of horse the best suited for til
OF dual purpose For this reason. we ca
H. lnestly hope that the department of agi
DIS culture viii breed only the best a
s. purest Morgans on the United Stat
ha | MORGAN horse farm OF NTiddlab,,r,, Y.