No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 445 



The stallion law has encouraged breeders of good horses by giving 

 them protection and they have in consequence been buying more pure 

 bred stallions than heretofore. To show the actual increase let us 

 take the number of pure bred horses licensed in 1908 which 

 was 66G, then in 1909 there were 828 licensed, an increase 

 of 10 per cent., and in 1910 there were 909 licensed, an in- 

 crease of 10 per cent., while the grade stallions have also been in- 

 creasing the percentage of the increase has been markedly less. In 

 1908 there were 1333 grade licenses issued, in 1909 there were 1427, 

 an increase of less than 7 per cent., and in 1910, 1474 grade stallions 

 were licensed, or an increase of only 3^ per cent. 



The ratio of increase has been about three pure bred stallions to 

 every grade. Not only have the pure bred stallions brought into the 

 State increased in numbers since the enactment of the stallion law, 

 but the horses have been of a better type, especially among the draft 

 stallions. 



The present stallion law is good so far as it goes, but under 

 its provisions it cannot go far enough. The owner's affidavit is a bad 

 feature, but it is impossible to demand that each stallion owner have 

 a veterinarian examine his horse, as in some counties they have no 

 qualified veterinarian. The only means of being sure that a stallion 

 is up to standard is to have a commission appointed which shall ex- 

 amine all the stallions in the State, similar to the way it is done 

 in New Jersey. This would be an ideal means of having all horses 

 passed upon in a uniform way. As it is, there is too much difference 

 of opinion as to just what constitutes a stallion of the best type. 

 This inspection would also bring to light all valueless grade stallions, 

 which although technical I3' sound, are of such inferior breeding, type 

 and conformation that they are a detriment to the horse breeding 

 industry. 



A stallion would not necessarily have to be examined each year he 

 is in the State. This could be modified; perhaps stating that all 

 stallions had been passed by the commission and had attained the 

 age of say 10 years would be exempt from further inspection. 



Then, too, instead of Issuing merely three forms of license cer- 

 tificate, namely: pure bred, grade and cross bred, it would be better 

 it seems to me, to have some distinction between i)ure bred stallions 

 at least. There should be a class for pure bred stallions of the 

 highest type, second best and so on. This would give the mare owner 

 a better idea of the worth of a stallion. As the law now stands any 

 horse that is properly registered with an authorized association, can 

 secure a pure bred certificate; this puts a prize winning stallion in 

 the same class as a horse, which (although by the letter of the law 

 is entitled to the best certificate) is inferior as to type and conforma- 

 tion. These kind of licenses, however, could not be issued unless a 

 personal inspection were made by the authorities in charge of the 

 enforcement of the law. If the commission before mentioned were a 

 fact, of course, it could also take care of classifying the various stal- 

 lions. 



The Pennsylvania law is one of the few exceptions, in not having 

 a lien clause in it. Eight states, and one of them is Pennsylvania, 

 have no lien cm the colt or mare and colt, for a stallion service fee. 

 A clause of this kind in the law would not only encourage breeders 

 to buy better stallions, knowing that they would be able to collect 

 the fee agreed upon, but also, would be an excellent means of enforc- 



