132 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



horses are not common. There are in Maine, to-day, but three 

 such horses ; and in all we have bred in all the past their number 

 is but thirty-nine — three of which have trotted in better than 

 twenty, viz: Hopeful, 2.17|; Lady Maud, 2 18^, and Camors, 

 2.19|. Now if a man sets out to raise a 2 30 horse — taking the 

 ratio of the past as a standard of his success — he has only to raise 

 2,383 ordinary colts before he will make a strike and get one that 

 can compass his mile in two minutes and a half — but I am inclined 

 to think he will become tired and discouraged before be has bred 

 half this number. Even in the United States, with its 7,145,370 

 horses, but 567 have a record of 2.30 — a proportion of one to 

 12,425 of the whole number. In view of such figures, would it 

 not be infinitely better to confine our efforts at breeding a class of 

 well proportioned, stylish, good moving, kind, serviceable horses, 

 of good weight, good for the road and for the farm, with good 

 speed, if you please — rather than to waste so much energy in the 

 endeavor to raise a two-thirty horse, out of material that will 

 hardly produce a three minute step? 



It seems to me, in samming up the matter which I have gone 

 over somewhat hastily and imperfectly, that no one can fail to 

 acknowledge speed as a quality of legitimate value ; but while 

 legitimate and useful, it is not the only quality to be recognized 

 and encouraged. Fairness demands that we accord to speed and 

 its display at our exhibitions, the same opportunities we afford to 

 the exhibition of the animal's other qualities, and offer the same 

 premiums for speed according to its value, that we do to roadsters, 

 draft, saddle, and breeding horses. Let no. enormous premiums 

 be offered to any quality in a horse, to which a fictitious impor- 

 tance attaches. If in testing the quality of speed it is thought 

 best to have a public trial of different horses, let every incorpo- 

 rated society conduct such trials in accordance with square and 

 manly rules ; allowing no gambling, no betting, no ungentlemanly 

 language or conduct. Then elevate to equal importance with the 

 noble qualities possessed by the horse, all the other departments 

 of our exhibitions — especially all our live stock interests — and I 

 am sure one great cause of embarrassment and dissatisfaction will 

 be done away. On this ground I believe our societies may firmly 

 and squarely stand, because I believe it good, honest ground ; 

 and the position a good, honest position. 



