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KNOTTY BREEDING FR0BLEMS£ • c Results, Mot Mating, Is the Mystery o It AIL ! • i Weeding Out, Tap-Roots, Figure J Systems and Importations Often • Mere Hocus Pocus. i i ■ ♦ BY SALVATOR. One does not have to go out of his way to encounter what is known as "breeding problems." They halt him at every step along both the highways and the byways of turf-dom. There are few of them that, at some time or other, have not been solved — that is, t According to the solvers. But they have, ungratefully, refused to stay solved. And, ap- 1 patently, they always will. Of course tins merely adds to their fasei- nation. The absolute certainty that two and two make four long since removed any attraction from that equation. The "mating problems," so to speak, of mathematics have I no mysteries. But when we mate a thoroughbred stallion and mare everything about the resultant product at once becomes a mystery, and. for the most part, remains one. We know not whether the foal will be male or female, have no assurance what it ■ ■will be in size, shape or color, and, above everything, are entirely in the dark regard- ing its capacities as a future performer. All that the breeder can do is try, to the best of his lights, to attain the best possible results. But in the process lie is destined for many disappointments and surprises, lie will, of course, have many magic recipes and infallible — or nearly so ! — formulas handed him "free gratis for nothing." Like the • very attractive advertisements of patent medicines that impart perfect health, and face creams that produce perfect beauty, they have been compounded by "those who know" and have the laboratory stamp blown in the bottle. One trial will convince. But aLis — only on paper! No breeding program has been so insistently forced upon the consideration of the American breeder In recent years as the J necessity of "weeding out" from his stud all animals not truly "thoroughbred." Meaning all those which have any taint or stain derived from the "American families" whose "tap-roots" do not in all cases trace to ani- I mals recorded in the English Stud Book. The "solution" thus provided for all "breeding problems" seemed simple. But, most unfortunately, after a prodigious amount of i "weeding out" the "American families" re- fuse to be submerged. Every season animals I ■whose ancestors go back to them are found among the leading winners and record-breakers. The peculiarly Interesting tiling, to me, about the a nti-American propaganda is that If the "pur sang" formula really "works," Why it did not "figure out." and settle the question, long, long ago. For we have had ample material at our disposal for doing ao, and it has lavishly been used. WHAT OUR EARLY STTD BOOKS SHOW. The "parent volumes." first and second, of the American Stud Book were issued in 1873 and registered the progress of our thoroughbred breeding to that date. This was fifty years ago. A canvass of the pages devoted to imported stallions and mares shows that up to that date over 1,000 had been brought to this country. Their importation began in the first half of the eighteenth century, was uninterrupted until the War of the Revolution, recommenced immediately afterward, was not again interrupted until the Civil War, nearly a hundred years later, and since then has gone on steadily at a much accelerated pace. Nothing would be more interesting than .a tabular summary cf the whole "body" of our importations to the present year, showing the precise number of stallions and mares we had thus acquired, with the dates of their foaling and, as near as possible, of their ■nival here, it would, of course, require almos;t a lifetime of research and study to canvass the entire twelve volumes of our Stud Bock and ascertain just how many animals it contains whose blocd is or was Strictly "thoroughbred" and without native c-i • illumination. These, naturally, would include only those which went In the direct female line to some imported mare and at eacli cross blent in the blood of other imported animals. One thing, however, is certain. Namely, that there would be thousands upon thousands of them. The "breeding problem" presented is, therefore : With all this immense number of genuine "thoroughbreds" busy here at the work of reproduction and "improvement" for 200 years past, why have they not driven all the scions of the "woods" back to the tall timber whence, we are told, they originally emerged? If the anti-American propaganda is correct, that should have come to pass. But as it hasnt, the propaganda poses at present in rather a dubious light. There is an associated phase of this "problem" which has cost me much cogitation and many "anxious moments." Briefly slated, it is as follows : Why have so few of the greatest performers, the greatest sires and the greatest dams, thus far produced in America been the direct offspring cf both imported sires and dams? If the Newmarket formula really possesses the special and authentic magic claimed for it by the weavers of words and mutterers of spells, the wizards who tabulate pedigrees adorned with cabalistic figures and esoteric letters, why is this true? For so it id.
