Annual Meeting 1069 



gard to that registration law which is proposed, I want to say 

 that it has accomplished a great deal in our own state and in our 

 sister states in the West. Before this stallion registration law 

 went into effect fully one-half of the stallions in our state were 

 grade stallions; within five years of this time it was almost im- 

 possible to find a grade stallion in Minnesota. I believe there 

 ought to be a physical examination of those horses; and the 

 board that is empowered to do this work ought to make a good, 

 thorough, physical examination, whether it be a grade or a full 

 blood, and if you are to admit the grade stallion to service I 

 believe it ought to be so stated on the registration certificate. I 

 do not think it would be wise at the present time to bar all your 

 grade horses, but on that certificate, it should be noted whether it 

 is a blooded or a full-grade horse. And possibly it might be 

 well, after a term of years, to have it understood that after that 

 certain time no grade horse will be admitted, but for the time 

 being I do think it will not be the part of good judgment to bar 

 all horses. This will gradually adjust itself. 



I am not sure about the other suggestion that was made in 

 regard to putting a premium on full-blood horses brought into 

 your state. I do not believe it is necessary, in a business that 

 pays, to have put this premimn; it might be well for the time 

 being, until this horse business gets well onto its feet. But I do 

 think that it would be unwise for any period of years to have to 

 bolster up the business by premium. 



A word in regard to the breeding of horses on your farms. 

 One thing that you are going to be handicapped by is 

 that you have such little mares at the present time. We say a 

 man always does well when he does the best he can. Breed some 

 of the best mares you have to the very best sire that you can 

 find, and perhaps in a few instances you will be able to pick up or 

 buy a very good mare of the type tliat you wish to im- 

 prove. This will be well and good. But do not, under any con- 

 sideration, use anything but a thorougbred sire, and a sire of 

 merit. You must become horsemen; you must study the busi- 

 ness, and study to know what is required in a good horse and in 

 one that is not so good. 



