280 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



sufficient ttat the horses should be trotted singly, the comparative 

 speed to be determined by the stop watch. Such a course would give 

 rise to less excitement and to less advantageous opportunity for bet- 

 ting, and would certainly secure to the exhibitor all the advantages 

 which he could reasonably ask for. The time allotted to this part of 

 the exhibition ought also to be carefully limited, and the trial 

 promptly closed when all horses regularly entered have trotted in 

 their turn ; nor should the trotting course be used in connection with 

 the object of testing comparative speed, except under the direction of 

 a committee appointed by the society to distribute its premiums. 



These suggestions are offered rather to elicit discussion, than be- 

 cause we suppose much attention will be paid to them. Other 

 restrictions may be devised, having the same tendency to check the 

 evils which seem to threaten us in connection with this subject, and 

 the adoption or non-adoption of them, will, in a great degree, depend, 

 upon the feeling which underlies the efforts to attach trotting courses 

 to the fixtures of our agricultural societies. If this feeling is the 

 honest, straightforward one of benefiting the farmer, no man inter- 

 ested in the matter will hesitate to take all precautions to check 

 every evil which may flow from horse trotting ; but if, as it is some- 

 Avhat to be feared, the feeling is a simple spirit of a jockey, although 

 an unconscious one, let this Board and the societies patronized by 

 the State, do all that in them lies to correct the sentiment and reform 

 the evil. 



John C. Bartlett. 

 W. G. Lewis, 

 John Bkooks. 



In the discussion which arose upon this report, it was unani- 

 mously conceded to be for the interest of the farmer to breed 

 horses, as it had now become one of the most profitable 

 branches of farming. It was equally admitted to be for his 

 interest to show them, and that to show them to advantage, that 

 is, to show their action and carriage, a suitable place was requi- 

 site, and that the most suitable place was the well laid tracks 

 connected with the grounds of many of our agricultural 

 societies. 



At the same time, it was generally admitted, that evils might 

 be connected with the exhibitions of horses and trials of speed, 

 in the shape of betting, which, perhaps, could equally attach to 

 the ploughing match, and in fact, to every comparative trial of 

 skill and ability in any department of active life, the evils 



