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NATIONAL VALUE OF THE THOROUGHBRED. A representative of the Department of Agriculture at Washington has been in New York the past week in the capacity of a special investigator from the division known as the National Bureau of Animal Industry, for the purpose of securing reliable data regarding the thoroughbred for the forthcoming annual report of that governmental department. He has had access to the records of the Jockey Club and has made an exhaustive study of the M kings of its registration department and the breeding bureau conducted under its auspices in the state of New York. This is the first direct official reeogni tion the Jockey Club has received from the govern nient since assuming the registration of every native-bred foal and thoroughbred imported into the country in a stud liook. In this, the repre sentativo of the National Bureau of Animal Indus try says, that the Jockey Club in this department alone has discharged an invaluable service to the horse breeding industry of the country. He found the stud liook contained a record perfect in every detail of about JO.iiOO thoroughbreds, giving accurately the breeding and ownership of every foal and also the registration of color and individual marking of each and every animal. Following the thoroughbred as he passes from the breeding farm to the scenes of activities of his niaturer years the statistics show the immense commercial value of the thoroughbred as a race horse. Last year, as near as the figures made can be bad with accuracy, there were in training on tin-several race courses throughout the country no less than 7.oil0 horses, for the maintenance of whieh there was expended the sum of JB.tll.ffftft. or an average per diem cost of to the owners. No account in this estimate, which is compiled from returns of inquiries, is made of salaries for train ers. transportation, jockeys, agents and license fees or the hundred and one other expenses which are necessarily incidental to racing. Of this Ss. 212.300, it is estimated that one-half of it reached the agriculturist for produce of bis farm in the purchase of foodstuffs for the stable.
