70 REPORT ON HORSE BREEDING IN ONTARIO. No. 65 



Report Inspectors' District 4. — Concluded. 



merit standing for service. We also found that the farmers we came in con- 

 tact with view this with favor, and we are of the opinion that this would be 

 the most effective way of materially improving the class of horses in this 

 district. We arrive at that conclusion for different reasons. In the first 

 place it would weed out largely the undesirable sires which in this district 

 amount of twenty-five per cent, of the whole. In the second place it would 

 to a considerable extent prevent the breeding of these poorest mares that 

 have been bred to the.se very poor stallions. We also believe that it would 

 prevent to a large extent the importation of horses of an inferior class of any 

 breed into this country. It would also put a stop to a system which has been 

 pursued, and is still in practice in this country, that of selling and taking back 

 and reselling again stallions that are known to be unsuccessful sires. But 

 while we are convinced that an Inspection Act with license attached would 

 without doubt very materially improve all classes of horses in this district, 

 we are of the opinion that legislation along that line should be deferred 

 until the people have had ample time to be better informed on the subject, 

 and with that object in view we would suggest that the Department of Agri- 

 culture should by some well directed course endeavor to enlighten the peo- 

 ple thoroughly on this question by disseminating information bearing on 

 the subject, and by holding a series of meetings especially called for that 

 purpose, and that an Inspection Act be passed making it compulsory for all 

 stallions to be inspected, and that all stallions inspected be graded according 

 to merit and breeding, with provisions attached that all stallion owners be 

 compelled to give publicity to the certificates given. This conclusion is 

 arrived at taking for granted that the conditions and feelings of the people 

 are the same in other districts of this Province as in the districts visited by 

 ourselves. 



(Signed) Peter Cheistie. 

 Wm. Jones 

 John A. Boag. 



