OCR Text |
Show WEED OUT 'GRADE' STALLIONS Effect of Breeding From Such Stock Is Apparent In Very Low Grade of Horses Produced. The education of the average farmer far-mer as to the importance of good breeding la the production of horses makes slow progress. The majority and this is not over-stating the fact are not yet prepared to pay a decent- price for stallion service, preferring pre-ferring to use scrubs because they are cheap. Some of the states have passed stallion laws containing some excellent excel-lent features. Wisconsin has a license li-cense law which prevents the preva- f M' llrW I A "Grade" Percheron. lence and distribution of grade stallions stal-lions in the state. Minnesota has a law framed along the lines of the Wisconsin measure. Pennsylvania and Utah have adopted adopt-ed similar laws and other states have restrictive measures under consideration. considera-tion. The effect of these laws is to make the owner of each non-registered stallion stal-lion declare his horse a "grade." On handbills that are posters so that no one may be deceived as to his pedigree. pedi-gree. The situation abroad is very much better than In this country. In fact, practically no scrub, grade or non-registered non-registered stallions are used for pub-lis pub-lis service. In the investigations of this matter carried on by Dr. A. S. Alexander of Wisconsin it was found that of all the stallions in the state, 60 per cent, were grade stallions and only 40 per cent, pure bred. Some of the specimen horses used for public service are remarkable exhibitions ex-hibitions of wretchedly bad, rundown run-down and diseased animals. The Illustrations Illus-trations are from photographs of a "Grade Hambletonian" and a "Grade Percheron," which traveled throughout through-out the state for service. One is 13.3 hands in height and weighs 650 pounds, and he is not the worst in the lot, by any means. The effect of breeding from such stock is apparent in the very low A "Grade" Hambletonian. grade of horses produced. 'Water cannot can-not rise above its level, neither can a grade stallion raise the blood level of his progeny above that of his own veins in quality. The use of such sires, therefore, means a retrogression and a great damage to the farmers of any state. |