SEVENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART I. 9 



horse, but he must not be represented to be other than a grade or 

 cross bred. 



The last reports in the State Auditor's office showed six thousand and 

 seventy-nine stallions in the State. At the close of the fiscal year, De- 

 cember 1st, but eighteen hundred and thirty-seven certificates had been 

 issued. As the service season for 1906 was practically over before the 

 law went into effect, the number to be enrolled will probably be increased 

 to a large extent before the next season opens and will probably run 

 up to three thousand. Should the enrollment reach this number it would 

 still leave more than fiftj' per cent of the stallions standing for public 

 service in the State as grades or cross bred. This law as enacted, while 

 not perfect, will inform those having mares to breed of the true situa- 

 tion in Icwa, and this should eventually eliminate from use the grade 

 and scrub stallion; the grade stallion has no place or use as a sire. 

 "While the grading up process may be secured by breeding a grade mare 

 to a pure bred horse, and again breeding her foal to a pure bred horse, 

 further progress will instantly stop if the mare is mated to a grade 

 or scrub stallion. 



We believe the present law should be amended so that the abuses 

 now practiced in issuing stallion bills may be corrected. Many of the 

 hills as printed, while not actually violating the law, violate the spirit 

 of it at least. 



I would recommend that authority be given the department of agri- 

 culture to publish a bulletin at least once or twice a year, giving a list 

 of the stallions and owners to whom State certificates have been issued. 



The owners of stallions all over the State are demanding that some 

 legislation be enacted which will protect them for the service fee. Many 

 of the states have upon their statute books a law giving the stallion 

 owner a lien upon the colt and mare until the fee is paid. The fee 

 generally is not due until after the colt is foaled; this being the case, 

 many times the mare has changed hands and the stallion owner has 

 often great difficulty in collecting his fee. I would recommend that a 

 committee be appointed at this meeting, or at the meeting of the board, 

 to draft a bill along these lines and see that the same is presented to 

 the next session of the Legislature. 



farmers' institutes. 



The interest in the county farmers' institutes is constantly growing.. 

 Eighty cf tha ninety-nine counties of the State held institutes and re- 

 ceived State aid to the amount of $5,614.53 during the fiscal year ending 

 June 30th, 1906. This was an average of $72.69 to the county, the 

 maximum amount appropriated for each county being $75.00. 



I believe that the manner of reporting should be changed so that all 

 reports shall be filed through the office of the department of agriculture. 

 If this change was adopted a great deal of useful information could be 

 secured. The reports should then be compiled and published in bulletin 

 form for free distribution, as the law now stands, the itemized expense 

 account is filed with the county auditor, and by him with the State 

 Auditor. The State Auditor issues a warrant and sends it to the county 



