view raw text
EXPERIMENTAL WORK BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IN HORSE BREEDING 4. — _ _ J. Washiagtoa, Jnly 26. — The result of the government experimental work in horse breeding, begun in 1913, is Interesting, and statistics for the sea -on just closed will -ive an idea of how the u uk is heing prosecuted. inlike foreign governments, the Catted States had made no experiments in the scientific breeding; of horses for army uses, and ii waa only as the r suit of a recommendation to Congress by a nnni-ber of experts who had inspected foreign stada that an appropriation of 0,000 was set aside and Ihe work turned over to the Department of Agriculture, which in turn delegated it to the Bureau of Animal Husbandry. The object was to produce desirable types of cavalry remounts and artillery horses. Thoroughbred sires had been ptoaoaaeed most serviceable by continental experts and the project was undertaken along the same lines here, though there was a desire to try other light horse types of stallion, and a few trotting, saddle and Morgan sires were Included in the original stud. The War Depart meal had received aa a donation the thorough-hied sires Octagon by Bayoa dor. dam Ortegal, by Bend Or. and Henry of Navarre by Knight of Kllerslie. out i f Moss Hose, by The 111 Used, from tuguat Belmont, president of the Jockey cluh. and these were turned over to the Department of Agriculture, other thoroughbreds were purchased, and there are now at the station at Front Royal, ;i.. eighteen sires, of which ten are thorough l.recls. the others Iieing trotters and saddle stallions. All th."-. leases were passed upon by experts ami no unsound or faulty gaited mares are allowed to he bred. In every instance ihe aim has been to secure a horse tha was not only : good individual hut uas possessed of a sweetness of dis position, a soundness ,i Bare and a duality of hone that would make their progeny desirable for army use. the prepotency of the thoroughbred, c|n*rts declare, make him Ideal for the work in hand. and. as racing was in its darkest days When the Work was inaugurated, the task of see Bring horses of quality was easy. There uas a disposition from the start to render the government every assistance in a work I hat is regarded as second to none in eeonomii importance. With Russias appropriation for horse breeding totaling inure than ,000,000 for 1914, and the raar adding more than ,000,000 in the same period from his private purse, there was cause for fault finding when tie- appropriation for the work in the Halted States during the same period was eu! front the original .$."». niii to O,00t . Now the as pari. .lent has ■• ■• n uoliflnd thai it must .any . a the work tor the coming twelve months Tor 5,000. and there is certain to he an anneal to Congress as soon as the House convenes. There will he agitation also concerning the price the government hinds itself to pay for three-year-olds, the figure tit present amounting to 75, or to he exact, 50 aad a refund for the service fee of 5, though no fee is charged it" an option is given the government on the resultant foal, at the time of service. Breeders in the east claim that they cannot produce ti good two-year-old for this sum. and experts like Major -General Scott declare that ihe amount should be Increased, and in fact there should be no set figure for a good horse. The governments option is exceedingly fair, for if ■ breeder finds he has produced a high tyjie of animal which will command a big figure in the open market or it private sale he may pay the service fee of SL." and obtain a release. In talking with Q. Arthur Hell, who litis the work in hand for the Bateau of Aedatal Husbandry, that official said: "We find a desire to patronize our horses growing constantly, but unfortunately we are hampered by the tack "f sufficient money to go on with it in the way its importance demands. It is a work that would make a big showing in a year or two. and it is a project which calls for much thought. In 1913 we had forty-one stallions, to which 1.557 marcs were bred. In 1!114. forty-three stallions were in service, and 2.013 mares were. heed. I.ecause our appropriation was cut to 0,000 for the past season we had to reduce the number of stallions to thirty-seven. Notwithstanding this, there have been bred to date more than 1.900 mares, and when the returu for the Morgan horse, which left the Middlebtiry. Vt.. depot late, are all in. there will Ik- more than 2.000 mares, or an average of about fifty-five mares per home, as against forty-seven in 1914 and thirty -eight in 1913. "We have endeavored always to place the horses ill districts where there was tile greatest need for improving the general par none horse. continued Mr. Bell. Tn every instance. I think, we have accomplished our object, and we have had to limit the seas. in of the thoroughbred Octagon and the trotter Rich ford Jay, 2:13%, BO great is the desire to patronize sires of their splendid type. Prizes are given, in cooperation with the National Remount Asset hit ion. every autumn for yearlings at five fairs in Virginia, f.itr in Kentucky, three in Vermont and one each in Tennessee and Ohio, the animals being judged on their suitability to become cavalry remounts. We also hold a horse show and race meeting in August at Front Koyal. where premiums for the produce of ihe government stallions are offered, as well tis the Thompson Cup for two year-olds, which is a .eature of the occasion." A-ked if he had heard that there was I possibility of the government horse-breeding aeatnjtica being transferred to the War Department. Mr. Hell admitted that he had. hut would not discuss the matter, which is lteing advocated aaite strongiy. the claim being thai the work belongs there, as the army knows the type of horse it requires lor a«tie service. *
