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TO PROMOTE COMMUNITY BREEDING. Movement Now On Foot That Promises Much for Better Class of Horses in Canada. Some years ago. if I wanted a car of horses of a certain type. I could go into the neighborhood of Hampton and secure my requirements in a day. if I wanted a ear of another type, these could be secured at Port Hopc-Cobourg district in the same time. Today, if I were buying. I would have to -over four or five townships in order to accomplish the same object." This statement was made at Orouo by Joseph Henry, an old-time horse buyer, at a meeting called by 15. S. Duncan, district representative of the Department of Agriculture, to take steps looking to the formation of a horse-breeders club in Toronto. Out. The Dominion Department of Agriculture has undertaken a line of action by which it is hoped to change the condition described by Mr. Henry. It proposes to provide for "community breeding" in horses, to assist in developing a system under which the farmers of a given section will arrange to breed along the same line and to use the best sire available in that line. In this way it is hoped that in ■ few years each section in which horses are bred at all largely will he noted for horses of a certain type, and that buyers desiring such type will liable to fill their requirements within a bmited area, to the benefit both of themselves and producers. With this end in view, the Department of Agriculture has undertaken to pay 40 per cent of the fees paid for the service of a stallion in a neig-boriood where certain conditions are observed. The Conditions Laid Down. These conditions, in brief, are: 1 That the breeders of a given section shall form a horse -breeders club and arrange for the hiring of a stallion for service of mares belonging to members. 2 That this club shall guarantee to supply a given number of mares for service at not less than SI 2 per niiire, and that the club shall become responsible for the payment of the fees. S The stallion selected for service on thCOC mares must he submitted for examination by an authorized veterinary surgeon. 11 One-third of the fee for mike shall be paid :it the lid of the seasi.n. whether the mare is in foal or not. and the remaining two-thirds when the mare proves to be in foal. 5 In the case of a stallion four years old and over, tin owner must guarantee lie is at least a fifty per cent foal getter, and in case of death of a stallion hired for service by the dab, the owner is to provide another satisfactory to the club. O The agreement between the stallions owner and the club must bo approved by the Live Stock Commissioner. Number of Clubs Now in West. A number of horse-breeders clubs have already been formed in the west. William Smith. M. P.. said he believed the policy adopled by Hie Dominion Department of Agriculture in regard to improved horse breeding was the best policy ever adopted in Canada in this matter. "It is." he said, "a policy calculated to promote breeding along one line, and the best of that line, in each neighborhood. This policy has been followed for years in the old land, and it has become more popular with each paaaiap year. The selection of the best possible sire is vitally important in any class of live stock, and in no class of stock is this quite so vitally important as in horse breeding. If we are to m:;ke the best of our opportunities in horse breeding, we must keep our ideals high. Kvcn at the worst of times really good horses will fetch profitable prices, and there is little profit in poor horses at the best of times. "Then never was a time when prospects were better for horses of the right type i:i Canada. The stack of horses in France has been depleted by war: in tlie Halted States horse supplies have been cropped close by the dessaads from Europe f«.;- harata for war purposes, and in Canada the holdings of bones of the right type are strictly limited." Touching in the buying on war account in Canada. Mr. Smith said: "Our farmers have not heea allowed to reap the benefit from buying ea war account they should have reaped. It is true French buyers have taken many horses of a class that could be well spared, but the British government lms bought mostly in the Initid States. I am told, however, that British buyers will be here again, and the heavy buying of horses for war purpose, may be expected."
