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i i | RACING NECESSARY AT THIS TIME Army Officers Visiting- Kentucky Breeding- Farms Urge Continuance of Sport. Lexington. Ky.. June 22.— Col. M. C. Bristol. Major R. E. Strawbridge, United States army: Lieut. G. Boy. French army; Dr. R. ;. Lawton. Bureau of Animal Industry, V. S. Department of Agriculture, and Dr. F. Ambrose Clark, wielely known eastern turfman, came to Lexington Wednesday and visited the Nursery and Belmont Studs to inspect the stallions presented to the War Department ior the governments Breeding Bureau, by Major August Belmont and A. K. Macomber. After they had seen these horses, they called upon Charles II. Berryiu.in, to know if he could direct them to iktsoiis having for sale thoroughbred stallions suitable for the governments purposes in producing animals for army purposes. Mr. Berry-man advised them that stallions in this section, except such as are just finishing their seasons as stock horses, are quite scarce, but he undertook to get in touch with a numlier of jiersons who would know of the whereabouts of available animals. In so doing, he took the party to the offices of the Thoroughbred Horse Association and there Secretary Thomas B. Cromwell informed them that E. It. Bradley had just instructed him to present the stallion Desmonds Day, five years old, Ly Desmond — Palmy Days by Trenton, to the government with his compliments. The party went forthwith to Idle Hour Farm to inspect the horse. They left here yesterday for Cincinnati, with the expectation that they may lie able to buy several serviceable animals. This party is sent out directly from the War Department to bring back a necessity — thoroughbred stallions, from which can be bred certain animals for war puriioses. of which the country is represented to be badly iu need. This visit and this appeal is taken by breeders and turfmen :s a direct answer to the call of those Louisville reformers, supported by Gen. W. B. Haldeman, editor of the Louisville Times, and one of the owners of the Courier Journal, for suppression of racing during the war. "As we in the service view it," said Major Strawbridge, "There is at this time a necessity for rae-ing, especially in Kentucky, the great center of our countrys horse breeding activities. Without the proving grouud. and the race track is the proving ground, we have no means of selecting the better animals for stud purposes, and without good »i- :■ and good dams, we cannot hare those stouter animals we need for war purposes. "The war department has experienced such difficulties in getting needed animals from the farmers of the country, that it is now undertaking to accumulate thoroughbred sires to be crossed upon mares of other breeds, with a view to producing its wants. We are not taking every sort of stallion that may be offered. We are selecting according to types and blood and performances. We do not want animals that are defective or deficient. There must be racing that the country may have the horses it needs."
