GIG 
BREEDING PROBLEMS. 
won out, not because he could muster official or social influence, 
but on merit only. We may well hope and pray to be spared sim¬ 
ilar experience in this new government undertaking of our own; 
but if we should go the same way as the others did, let us pre¬ 
pare ourselves to win, for the better that we can do to our coun¬ 
try* 
Let us study the matter thoroughly and discuss it frankly in 
all directions, and then let us branch out into the forefront. So 
far, we in the army at least, have been overlooked in the co-opera¬ 
tion in this new breeding scheme of the government, and others, 
by virtue of their rank, have been chosen as counselors. This 
could be expected to be the condition at the start, because it is 
exactly what happened abroad, only longer ago. But the future 
must find us forging ahead, must prove our better knowledge, 
show our calmer judgment, and demonstrate our greater prac¬ 
tical skill, if you wish. 
It is pleasant to chronicle that already notice has been taken 
of the valuable assistance the veterinarian can render in breeding 
problems, at present only from mere private sources. Aside from 
Dr. Melvin’s excellent official publications on breeding of army 
horses, hunters, etc., during the past few years, the appearance of 
such articles as that of Dr. Nockald’s, First Cavalry, on “ Notes 
on the Progenitors of Certain Strains of the Modern American 
Horse,” published in the Cavalry Journal, as also those of Dr. 
Griffin, Third Artillery, and Dr. D. Arthur Hughes on the re¬ 
mount question, and several briefer notes made by other army 
veterinarians, have been favorably commented upon by interested 
army officers. That also an official representation of veterina¬ 
rians is bound to be acknowledged can be judged by a recent re¬ 
mark of an army officer in the Cavalry Journal who, taking occa¬ 
sion to scold our national government for not sooner enacting a 
breeding strain in this country, said with emphasis: “ It remained 
for an obscure veterinarian in Wisconsin to quietly force through 
the legislature of his state the first stallion law in America/’ 
While none of us will admit that our esteemed colleague, Dr. 
Alexander, occupies an obscure position, this adjective may be 
pardoned when we adjust our eyes to the spectacles through 
which this writer looked at the question. 
There is, then, much to encourage us, even in the face of the 
many obstacles which we shall have to overcome, to conquer a 
new field of work. It is ours by right, but as we have not claimed 
it particularly, it has practically been taken possession of by ama¬ 
teurs, from whom we shall have to wrestle it. There is no need 
