Scientific American Supplement, No. 611, September 17, 1887Various
Science
Scientific American Supplement, No. 611, September 17, 1887
Various
Science -- Periodicals
purely a gambling standard, demoralizing in all its tendencies to both
man and beast. With this the government need have nothing to do, for
it will die out of itself as the masses learn more of it, and
especially would it cease to be, once the government established a
_blood_ standard for the breeding of all horses, and particularly a
National Horse.
When the cereal crops of our country are light, or the prices fall
below profitable production, the farmer has always a colt or two to
sell, thus helping him through the year. In place of constantly
importing horses from France, England, and Scotland, where they are
raised mostly in paddocks, and paying out annually millions of
dollars, it is our duty to be exporting.
As an American I am ashamed when I see paraded at our county or state
fairs stallions and mares wearing the "blue ribbon" of superexcellence,
with boastful exclamation by the owner of "a thoroughbred imported
Percheron, or a thoroughbred imported French coacher, or a
thoroughbred imported Scotch Clyde, or a thoroughbred imported English
coacher, or a thoroughbred imported English Shire, or a thoroughbred
imported English Cleveland Bay!"
The American farmer and his boys look on aghast at the majesty and
beauty of these prize winners over our big-headed, crowbar-necked,
limp-tailed, peeked-quartered horses called "standard bred!" What
standard? "Time standard," as created by a man who is neither a
horseman nor a breeder; but because of the lack of intelligent
information and want of courage upon the part of a few, this man's
_ipse dixit_ has become law for the American breeders until such time
as cultured intelligence shall cause them to rebel. It soon will.
It is indeed time for the government to step in and regulate our horse
breeding. Of all the national industries there is none of more
importance than that of horses. More so in America than in any other
country, because our facilities are greater, and results can be
greater under proper regulation. Lieut. Robertson has proved to be the
right man in the right place, to open the door for glorious results to
our nation. No one man or a small body of men can regulate this
horse-breeding industry, but as in France, Russia, and England, the
government must place its hand and voice.
We are indeed an infant country, but have grown to an age where
parental restraint must be used now, if ever. We have millions of
farmers in America, breeding annually millions of horses; and except
we have another internal war, our horses will soon become a burden and
a pest.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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