476 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUKK. 



The sires should be of equal merit and the most important point is to see 

 that they are of known purity of blood and individual excellence; also 

 that upon neither side is there an objectionable out-cross or the presence 

 of a sire or dam noted for unsoundness or other objectionable trait, char- 

 acter or feature. Furthermore, the character of the man back of the 

 pedigree should be taken into account. The pedigree is comparatively 

 valueless unless the breeder and seller are noted for integrity; nor is 

 pedigree a sufficient criterion of merit, or an apology for individual imper- 

 fection, or unsoundness. The animal should be a good individual and 

 if, in addition, there is a long line of excellent ancestors upon both sides 

 of his pedigree, there will be good reason to expect that he will, with con- 

 siderable fidelity, transmit to his progeny the true characteristics of his 

 breed, those of his family and those of his individuality. 



In some instances an individual horse with a long line of reputable 

 ancestors is himself a comparatively poor individual yet may prove an 

 impressive sire and, on general principles, the somewhat indifferent indi- 

 vidual that has a fine line of ancestors, as shown by his pedigree, is 

 greatly to be preferred to a "scrub," grade or cross-bred animal, for 

 breeding purposes. We say this for the good reason that his progeny 

 will be quite likely to partake of the good qualities of the ancestry, 

 rather than the indifferent qualities of the individual. There are many 

 exceptions to this rule, and experiment is, therefore, the sure way of 

 proving the prepotency of the individual stallion. It is always best, 

 however, to choose a sire that has both excellent breeding and individ- 

 ual excellence of form and quality in every respect. 



BECOEDING AND PUBLICATION OF PEDIGREES. 



Every sound, pure-bred stallion and mare should be duly recorded 

 in the stud book of the breed represented. Breeders should attend to 

 the recording of colts and fillies at the ages indicated by the rules of the 

 various pedigree registering associations and delay in attention to this 

 matter entails considerable expense, as higher fees are charged for the 

 recording of adult horses than are asked for horses under one year of 

 age. Members of the different stud book associations are charged less 

 for recording horses than are outsiders. It is, therefore, advisable that 

 every breeder of pure-bred horses, that are eligible to registry, should 

 become a member of the association publishing a stud book for the 

 Breed which he handles. 



IMPOETANCE OF SOUNDNESS IN BEEEDING STOCK. 



It has been stated that the stallion should be pure-bred, recorded, cer- 

 tified to as regards breeding and an excellent individual. It is of as 

 great importance that he should be free from all forms of unsoundness or 

 disease that are hereditary, transmissible or communicable to offspring. 

 It is equally important and necessary that the mares bred to him should 

 be sound in the same way and not until both mares and stallions used 

 for breeding purposes are free from unsoundnesses such as we have indi- 

 cated, can we confidently hope to raise the average excellence of our 



