966 ON HORSE BREEDING IN ONTARIO. 47 



iepo-rt Inspectors' District 2. — iConcluded. 



ised is not what it should be, it would be much better for the Department 

 )f Agriculture to conduct an educational campaign by the distribution of 

 iterature on horse breeding throughout the Province, through the short 

 !ourse in judgirg at tue Ontario Agricultural College, the Agricultural 

 Societies and Spring Stallion Shows; and at Farmers' Institute meetings 

 ;o have up-to-date and successful horse breeders as lecturers. 



AYe found in some sections several stallions owned by syndicates, and 

 )n inquiring as to the success of said system learned in most cases that it 

 tiad not proved to be very satisfactory ; in many cases it was claimed that 

 ;he stallions had been put in at very much more than their actual value; 

 md in some cases it was claimed that the horses were not breeders, and 

 should not have been sold for that purpose. While the system on the 

 ivhole appears to ha^e given very poor satisfaction, and should not be en- 

 ?ourag«d, we think it could be adopted with advantage in some sections, 

 if three or four good farmers would join together, have a meeting, and 

 decide just what kind of a stallion they should have in that section; then 

 select two good judges to purchase said stallion at a right price; gnet -^he 

 proper guarantee and then several first-class stallions might be used where 

 there are none at present. 



We found far too many inferior sires being used throughout the dis- 

 trict. Unfortunately many farmers look at first cost only and use these 

 sires. We also found a large number of inferior and unsound mares which 

 in our opinion should never be used for breeding purposes. And in con- 

 sequence it is important that more educational work be taken up along this 

 line, in order to impress breeders with the idea of using a better class of 

 females as well as sires. 



In many sections we found a large number of breeders had no filled 

 type, some with very good heavy mares with two or three Clydesdale or 

 Shire crosses in them, using a Percheroii or some breed of light stallion, 

 which can only have one result, and that is to injure the horse breeding in- 

 dustry of the Province. 



We trust that the information received from this investigation may be 

 of value to the Department in the effort to further the horse breeding in- 

 dustry, one of the most important branches of live stock developmert m 

 the Province at the present time, and while at nearly every public meet- 

 ing the majority appeared to be in favor of inspection and licensing, as 

 already stated, we are of the opinion that the time is not yet ripe for such 

 legislation. 



We feel that the Department might by some well directed means en- 

 deavor to educate the people, so that in the near future they may be able 

 to see the advisability of an Inspection Act at least, and probably a license 

 act also, and trust that the labors of the Department may accomplish the 

 desired end. 



(Signed) John Gahdhouse, 

 AVm. Cain. 



