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AMERICAN GOVERNMENT WAKING UP. Following the announcement that the British Board of Agriculture had set aside a grant of hB00,000 for the breeding of cavalry remounts by use of thoroughbred sires, the United States Ouvernnicnt has also shown signs of life. The chief of the Bureau of Animal Industry at Washington, in his report just issued, outlines a system of producing remounts and asks that the sum of 50,000 be set ajide at once and 00,000 per year arranged for to keep up the work. With this amount of money it is thought that 100 sires can be stationed as follows, to mate with suitable in ares: Maine-and New Hampshire, ten sires. Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana aud Ohio, fifty sires. Missouri and Texas, fifteen sires. .Montana, Washington, Oregon aud California, twenty-live sires. This plan has been devised after joint consideration of the subject by representatives of the Department of Agriculture and the AVar Department, at the instance of the Secretary of War. It is accompanied by a statement setting forth the reasons why the War Department regards it as imperative for the government to encourage the breeding of horses for the army. Tills report shows that the United States has a reiiipuirt problem the same as England. Although L there are 23,C0,000 horses of all kinds in the United States, sufficient cannot be secured for cavalry purposes because the correct type is not being produced. The American trotter and the grade sire have done their work. "European countries," says this report, "long ago found it was not only advisable but necessary to supervise the breeding of army horses, and every European country, with the exception of England, has for years been encouraging the breeding ot the proper type of remount. England, one of the most important horse countries in the world, has for many reasons only recently been forced to take this step. It is interesting to note that practically the same conditions confront England that confront this country at the present tune, and almost identical, steps are contemplated in the two Anglo-Saxon countries to accomplish the same result suitable army horses in sufficient number. "The horses of our mounted branches are severely criticised by representatives of foreign armies, wliile from our own officers come reports of poor animals and poor performances." TJic Canadian Bureau several years ago formulated the broad policy that Canada should reach a condition in horse breeding which would insure an adequate supply of remounts in time of war. The United States arc alive to this pbaso of the work. "No system of supply." says the rciiort, "is complete, so far as the army is concerned, which deals with peace conditions alone. The War Department must constantly keep in mind the possibilities of war, and it is not surprising that, finding difficulty in purchasing a supply of remounts for the peace array, there should be more or less uneasiness when war requirements arc considered. The waste of horseflesh in war times is enormous, and in a war of any magnitude in which this country might be engaged, the numler of horses required , will not be confined to the thousands per year, but will ex I end into the hundreds of thousands." This statement will be fully appreciated by those who have the lesson of the Soth African war before them. That war swallowed up over half a million horses, and it was no new lesson, for war was just as destructive on horses a hundred years ago. AVhen the French crossed the Nelman in June, 1812. they had 127,121 horses. AVhen they recrossed the Ncimau in December of the same year they had 1,000 horses left. During the year ending June. 30, 1SGL the United States Federal Government purchased 1SS.71S houses to keep tWe forces up to mobilization strength. This, therefore, was the measure of destruction of horses during that period. The loss was about 500 horses per day. From these figures it will readily be seen that there is a vast difference between peace and war requirements. The recent grant givon to English, and Irish breeders has for its object only the peace supply, and does not solve the mobilization problem which alone can be solved by Canada. France, Germany aud Austro-Hungary have famous bureaus. They have been engaged in the work for a long time and have spept millions of dollars. Hie French government, for instance, spends about ,300,000 per vcar. According to the annual report of the Director of National Ilaras of the French government, in a single department, the Calvados. 3S,900 was given in special grants to owners ot Bureau yearlings iii IOOQj Crossing the Rhine, one finds that Germany has. .1 perfect Bureau, with a crop of 25,000 foals per year. The great haras at Bebeobeck. at Newstadt, Dusseldorf and Hamburg, are wonderfully complete, as are also the Imperial Studs vat Berlin, and Potsdam. The result is shown in the German army, with perfectly mounted dragoons, curassiers and hussars. The breeding or horses in Germany is principally important from a national defense point of view. The Germans desire a horse of modern warfare and with marvelous patience and indomitable tenacity, and have succeeded in gettiug it. In Lithuania thev started with the thoroughbred and then selected "ills sous and grandsons, sending them all over Germany. In selecting these sires they considered soundness, ability to carry weight and general cavalry qualities. As a result Germany is well supplied with cavalry horses and the German system is worthy of strict attention. German eavalry horses are complete from every point of view and able to answer all the requirements of modern tactics and field service. This is precisely what tho Canadian Bureau has been aiming at for several years, and the success of Germany proves that Canada is on the right track. January bulletin of Canadian Brcediug Bureau.
