DISTRICT NO. 6. 



Counties Hastings, Peterboro, Victoria, Durham, Northumberland 

 and Prince Edward. 



Inspectors J. G. Clark, Ottawa, and Jas. Irving, Winchester. 



HASTINGS. 



In Sidney township the Inspectors report that the majority of the stal- 

 lions are totally unfit for breeding a good class of horses ; most of them are 

 undersized and unsound and of poor quality, and colts of any kind are quite 

 scarce. The horsemen here were found in favor of stallion inspection and 

 the licensing of good horses for the protection of breeders. Five of the stal- 

 lions are Standard-bred, one being a good individual. There is also a good 

 Hackney. The balance includes a fair Clydesdale and an aged Coach grade. 

 Fees vary from $8 to $16. Mares are of only medium quality, many beinp 

 unfit for breeding 1 purposes; worn out and crippled mares being generally 

 bred. 



In the townships of Thurlow and Tyendinaga there are some very good 

 stallions including Standard-breds, a French Coach, a grade English Coach 

 horse and a Clydesdale. In numbers there are four Standard-breds and two 

 grades of that breeding; a Clydesdale and a grade, a French Coacher, three 

 French Canadians, unrecorded, an English Coach grade and a Shire grade. 

 There is no absolute unsoundness and some of the horses have the reputation 

 of being good stock getters. There is a wide range in fees from $7 to |20. 

 As regards mares there is a tendency to breed too manv light mares without 

 regard to strength and substance. Mares are somewhat better than! in Sid- 

 ney township, but stallion owners claim that good ones are scarce and that 

 the reputation of stallions is seriously injured by the mares with which they 

 are mated being inferior and unsound, and the colts partaking of their 

 unsoundnjess and inferiority. Among stallion owners the idea of stallion 

 inspection seems to meet with universal approval. Some difference of opin- 

 ion was met with in reference to a license fee. Many of those spoken to laid 

 special emphasis on the necessity for the greatest care on the part of the 

 Inspectors (if such were appointed) in inspecting the progeny of the stal- 

 lions under consideration; as many had found that many registered stal- 

 lions had not been successful as stock getters. 



There are several grade sires in Hungerford township, and pure-bred 

 stallions are considerably in the minority. The pure-breds are three Clydes- 

 dales and a Hackney; the grades are Clydesdales seven, Standard-breds 

 three, Coach one, and Percheron one. With few exceptions the standard of 

 merit is lather low and so are service fees, from $5 to $15, the majority not 

 exceeding $10. Mares are chiefly cross-breds, light general purpose, with 

 a few small Roadsters. A few heavy blocky mares were seen thai) would 

 mate well with good Clydesdale or Shire stallions. Stallion owners are divid- 

 ed about the amount of a license fee; some favored a high one. The opinion 

 seemed to be unanimous that the scrub stallion should be put out of business, 

 but none of the owners apparently consider the possibility of their own 

 horses coming within that class. Some favor an act of Parliament giving 

 stallion owners a lien on the progeny unjtil the service fee is paid. All the 

 evidence goes to show that haphazard breeding and the patronizing of cheap 

 horses are responsible for the slow progress being made in the improvement 

 of horses here. The scope of a stallion act came in for a lot of discussion. 

 Men who have had good results from cross-bred horses would not favor the 



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