CORNELL 



1Rea6ing*Couc8e for Jfarmets 



PuBLiSHBD Monthly by the New York State College op Agriculture 

 AT Cornell University from November to March, and Entered at 

 Ithaca as Second-Class Matter under Act op Congress July i6, 1894 

 L. H. Bailey. Director. 



SERIES X 

 HORSE PRODUCTION. 



ITHACA. N. Y. 

 NOVEMBER, 1909 



No. 46. 

 THE BROOD MARE. 



THE BROOD MARE 



M. W. Harper 



In the selection of breeding stock, we must keep in mind the principle 

 of heredity that " like produces like." This applies to the brood mare 

 as well as to the stallion. Bad qualities in the mare are as likely to appear 

 in the colt as are bad qualities possessed by the stallion. The influence 

 of the mare in the transmission of qualities to the foal is often very 



,,tecimmf^si^''m'' ' y^'^*'^- """' 



Fig. I. — Suffolk Punch marc. "The Lady." 



much underestimated, and frequently ignored entirely by horse-breeders. 

 The general appearance and the pedigree of the stallion are given much 

 prominence, while in the brood mare they are entirely lost sight of. 

 This cannot be other than a serious mistake, and the farmer who keeps 

 worthless mares for breeding simply because he cannot sell them will 



635 



