42 THE HORSE 



and cane fields of the South, so the mule came in to 

 fill the gap. 



It is difficult to explain why Americans have not 

 produced a dozen breeds or varieties of horses, each as 

 well fitted for its locality and use as the roadster is 

 fitted for the place which he fills so well in our broad, 

 diversified country. We had a rare foundation in the 

 greatest of all the pioneer horses, the Morgan family, 

 but were so slow in recognizing it that it has nearly 

 slipped from our grasp. Perhaps this dearth of Ameri- 

 can breeds is due to the magic of that one word, "im- 

 ported," which occupies the most prominent place on 

 the breeder's hand -bills, when he calls attention to the 

 animals bought and bred. It is asserted that many 

 grades, or at least animals of doubtful breeding, have 

 been imported at long prices; that magic word, "im- 

 ported," serving to take the place of an authenticated 

 pedigree long enough to insure that the animal really 

 belonged to some well-defined breed. 



Pedigrees taken from the first volumes of stud- 

 books are appended, to show on what slender evidence 

 the claim of pure breeding in early days was some- 

 times based. In both cases the full recorded pedigree is 

 transcribed: 



210 



NAILOB 

 Bred by Thomas Barker, Fryton 



356 



WONDER 

 Sire Volunteer, 557 



