258' Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 May, 1917. 



A most gratifying feature of tlie past season was found in the fact 

 that in spite of the Government grant to agricultural societies being 

 suspended, and consequently the compulsory condition not having to 

 be complied with, the enthusiasm in the scheme did not abate and the 

 spirit underlying its introduction was faithfully carried out in a 

 continuation of the policy that only certificated stallions could be 

 awarded a prize at agricultiiral shows. This clearly indicates that 

 the majority of breeders are in hearty accord with the desire to 

 eliminate from OTir studs all unsound and nondescript sires, and this 

 contention is further supported by the desire so freely expressed to 

 obtain legislative control and to introduce a system of registration. 

 It is earnestly hoped that time will be found during the next 

 session of Parliament to place the Bill — which, as already notified in 

 the press, has been drafted — upon the statute-book. 



Examinations and Rejections. 

 Unsoundness. 

 The number of horses examined was 320, being 35 less than during 

 the previous season. The rejections show a slight decrease under the 

 heading of " Unsoundness '' and an increase for " Disapproval," the 

 figures being 11.25 per cent, unsound and 30.94 below standard as 

 against 14.93 and 23.1, respectively, for 1915-16, whilst the total 

 rejections were 42.19 per cent., as against 38.03 per cent, for the 

 previous years. An examination of tables during the past ten years 

 shows the following as the rejections each year for unsoundness : — 



1907/8. 1908/9. 1909/10. 1910/11. 1911/12. 1912/13. 1913/14. 1914/15. 1915/16. 1916/17. 

 15-04 17-17 15-04 17-0!) 10-42 11-59 10-38 13-76 14-93 11-25 



At first sight this does not appear so encouraging as a closer inves- 

 tigation warrants, for, as pointed out in a previous report, though in 

 light horses and ponies little unsoundness is found, the number of such 

 examined very considerably changes the ratio of unsoundness discovered, 

 and last year there was a higher proportion of these breeds examined 

 than usual. 



A far better index of the value of the examination is to take only 

 that breed in which unsoundness is prevalent, namely, the draughts, 

 and for the past ten years the figures run as follow: — 



1907/8. 1908/9. 1909/10. 1910/11. 1911/12 1912/13. 1913/14. 1914/15. 1915/16. 1916/17. 



23-82 27-33 23-52 21-57 12-13 1203 11-0 15-5 19-67 16-49 



If we divide the period into two of five years each, in order to 

 eliminate the fluctuations which occur from season to season, we see 

 that for the first five years an average of 20.8 per cent, was rejected, 

 and in the second an average of 13.4 per cent. — a difference of 7.4 per 

 cent., or a decrease of 35 per cent. Such figures cannot be regarded 

 as other than highly satisfactory, and indicate that the elimination of 

 unsoundness has commenced. A higher percentage could not be 

 expected, especially when it is borne in mind that uncertificated 

 stallions have not been wholly removed from breeding operations, and 

 that not more than two generations have been dealt with. Should 

 legislation which would prevent such stallions being used for stud pur- 

 poses ever be passed, there should be a much greater reduction of un- 

 soundness detected. 



