SUPERVISION OF STALLIONS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 736, 8 April 1910, Page 10

SUPERVISION OF STALLIONS.

;. i '.: : ' / /.AUSTRALIAN iIOYE. ;....:. -lt'-w gratifying to find that the-at I -.■■■; tempts made by .the Department of-Agri- :, culture-to; improve our breed of horses f: V ,. ■is meeting wittt- the approbation of those ;:. . - concerned-(says, the "Sydney Morning r,'-/ Jiwald ).-■ The recent meeting to discuss !.,'.., the question of stallion supervision may . be : taken-;to.-. express the opinion generic , : .ttlly held .in .the country. ■■•While not, perhaps, breeders themselves; those pre--.sent represent' breeders,, and-it is note-'■''".-"A.worthy-that; the general opinion was in ;-..-■ '. :: the. direction of favouring further and *r, •'■*.', more drastic supervision. The meeting at- : ; * least.-endorsed the principle of examina;.;■.;■;ton.. This.is a matter.for'coiigratula- ;,.■... tion, yas .-showins that, the'day of the ;..-. nondescript',sire is approaching an end. ! It, is-only-a'matter of time when inspec- ... tion of stallions must be cornpulsorv. In ! the meantime the question of cost has to ■ Do'considered;'whether it is-to be borne by the.industry or. the State. There are : objections to taxing stallions,' but there IS;something.to be said in favour of mak- ;■■ nig owners, pay inspection ..fees, which is !,-■•'- much; the.'same thing. .A. heavy tax as f : proposed on unsound stallions would no ;■ . : ,' doubt havelthe desired effect of putting y ■ ;■ tnem put.of service, but the thing to i ..-■/ consider now is whether they should not ';■■■.. be directly' and forcibly prevented from transmitting their faults to another, gen- . eration.. lu this connection it should i he.-a wise*step .to hold a conference of r : experts from,,, different States to deter- ,--, ■-• /mine upon a common basis of inspection, |.. ; . and . also ;■ the .principles of i such inspecj tion. The-official definition of 'unsound- |; . ne'ss should-be decided and made as pub- !■'■'•: lie as possible; while it should harmonise ''~'..', in. the different States if the certificates r. of one are'tobe recognised in the other. r '-.;• It is:most;necessary that it.should not ; ■ .-.happen that.an inexperienced veterinary ~''..' Burgeon should disqualify .any. . horse r . where conditions do not warrant it. The i improvement of horses means great bene- . - fit to the: State and the industry, but ; > ;'■" it must also, mean loss to the individual ."in cases, ■ particularly., in the'future, and . there should be 'every opportunity af- . forded for-, complete understanding . amongst -att. concerned. In tile mean-time-it is "pleasing, to see that the examination of stallions by Government - officials is accepted without'any apparent demur, and,' given the co-operation of i. .. . agricultural societies throughout the ; State, it will not be long before the svsi. " tern is further improved and more effective. In ."future alterations iu the system, however, it should be determined ... that.all stallious, whether fur private or public usei should bo examined. The I •'■ fact that, a sire is not at the service of j the -public'while confining the area of possible damage,- does not alter the re- '-," . wilt that -he is economically a loss to !,'."■'•,. tho community as well as his. owner. A Hawke's Bay correspondent states ' that,-, judging:.by the demand for breeding ; ■ :. ewes, there is every ■n'rpiniso-.of. an extra ; bisr lambin.i season;.in.jthe. spring, ,__ ! >: •,-*'. '"•';;■'.'. -.''■■'■'.