252 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



it not be better to say roadsters and time-trotters, or fast 

 horses ? Then let each of the roadsters be driven by one of 

 the committee, at least twice round the track, and all his paces 

 be shown, including the walk. A thorough investigation should 

 also be made respecting age, breed, soundness and training. 



The fast horses should be required to trot fairly inside of 

 three minutes, and allowed to go chiefly for the amusement of 

 the people. They are fancy articles and may be legitimately 

 used as such, to gratify the love of the beautiful and furnish a 

 healthful and agreeable excitement to the multitude, but they 

 ought not to be made too conspicuous on the programme, nor 

 have larger prizes than are offered to other classes. 



To judge accurately in regard to the real merits of a horse is 

 no easy matter. Experience is the best teacher of the art, 

 though not a cheap one, as all are well aware, who have thus 

 far in life been seeking, probably in vain, for the horse which 

 comes up to their standard of perfection. The Germans say, 

 " durch Schaden wird man king," " by damage one grows 

 wise," and never is this more emphatically true, than when men 

 deal in horses. Nevertheless, however badly cheated, they may 

 always console themselves with the reflection that they have 

 learned a new lesson in horse-history and acquired some addi- 

 tional information respecting both the desirable and undesirable 

 points of the animal. If the first purchase is a beauty, but 

 proves utterly worthless because he cannot breathe and travel at 

 the same time, in consequence of a lung difficulty, the buyer 

 will be careful next time and get one which, if not so hand- 

 some, has excellent lungs, but he will doubtless find, alas! that 

 he has travelled too much, and the next morning can hardly 

 hobble from his stall. The third will certainly not have the 

 heaves, nor be foundered, but will probably have fits, and so 

 the lover of horses goes on, increasing in wisdom, decreasing in 

 wealth. It is true it docs not add greatly to a man's reputation 

 for sobriety or morality to change horses often, or to own and 

 drive a good one. But not all have learned that it is wrong for 

 one man to exchange a horse that docs not suit him, for one 

 that does, while it is right for his pharasaical neighbor to buy 

 and sell stocks and bonds, houses and lands, cattle and sheep, 

 ad libitum. Neither is it evident to all, in this age of steam 

 and lightning, that the censorious individual above mentioned 



