TERRITORIALS SHORT OF HORSES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 751, 25 February 1910, Page 5

TERRITORIALS SHORT OF HORSES.

.;.'. -The following : ' is '• taken I from' 'a '■• i: ; x ) review..of Mr.; Haldano's army, -.scheme s—: 'i:.' "A difficulty which has"not yet been.Bur-.V;-.;; mounted is-tho provision of horses ■: f0r'.,.",; the! Yeomanry, and Territorial artUlery'.inv-;..;' war. ■ In. present circumstances there: aw': .;; about tli.-co men.to each- : horse :.in i'sV". Yeomanry,,and a"complete lack of..trained;;. teams tor. -.the'i'artillpry.. As the-Army,:i;.v. would have:the first.call.upon the. , horses'.' : !«~ ■ of.- the, country,;and.as the numl)er .-of■:'.';.,•. horses of' miiitary -age. fit for. service .'-via : ' rV; barely sufficient, to. meet,. ; the ; needs.of ■-'.:'.'; the ltegulars,- special efforts require v to,-.;,, bd made to .ensure 'an adequate supply';. : ■■' for the Territorial; Army.".,; ., :■;.[ -):j;.;;: : 'fc : ■The British Government tome time ago i W undertook to ;obtain' a 'census of farm pro-',- ' ': diiction; , including, special- schedules '.for"■:;!'' hop-growing,-i wood-lands,-..etc.: One .of' the'v:: "■■'■;' most important' of these' special schedules''.-:, ; :' is being, distributed'■ to'!fall .- those--over .:.' :'■ 300,00(>T-who : ;returncd.themselves ; in June i , . Ji ■last;as:owning agricultural or.unbroken \t~;jS ' horses.'„" The-'information-returned■ in the;;'; '<■ ■! ■annual' Bchedule 'gives ;the;, number ;of \. horses in three groups, , , .viz;, (1):. Horses £' ■■ used for' , agricultural purposes, includingV;s ;■. mares kept'for -breeding;,.:;( 2) unbroken.-if,''■;.' horses one year and .above; and (3)" un-X;--/ broken horses under, one , year.. 'The..spe-H.;;; cial horse schedule; now : being distributed :,I V;'. is'designed to furnish".accurate data; of-;':.;■: the number of stallions, mares;,, and geld-fl '$'■ ing's, of different breeds .'and ages;;:include; Zl ing - those kept: for other, than- agricuU;.:-.••■';' tural : purposes.' ■ ■'■■■•■: .'&'':■"■';;! 'v;.'-:'.-./ The object of obtaining : this ■ informa-;.;; ■;'.-. tion : is ..twofold.:: It will' enable;, a i calou-;.;;..; ■. lation' to be made, with a closer;degree;.;:; ; of accuracy than has hitherto;been ; poi- ;.;' v siblo of the'total stock of; horses kept -v , : on the land and of the animal production r :>: of different classes of horses. .'-Further;>:;,.;' than this, it mil provide the board valuable information '■ in'connection with-■>.:;•■' the schemo now under consideration for ; .-. , the encouragement of horsp-brecding:in :■!;, Great Britain; and will, facilitate-.thees-:. , ;::;';: tablishment of a register of the , owners , of '•. ■' suitable stallions and brood mares of dif-; forent breeds,' which: is the initial step towards the foundation of a: system', for :: ;;, ; the ■ improvement; of horse-breeding;. ;';,.'-:. •;; V