118 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



lias been to France knows that that country abounds with 

 gray horses. There are more gray horses in France than in 

 all the rest of the world put together. 



Mv. Capen. I believe it is a matter of observation, that 

 if the mother is strong, vigorous, and healthy, and her 

 conditions are dominant, and the father is delicate, or in 

 any respect feeble or inferior, the progeny are generally 

 females ; that is, the sex follows the condition of the domi- 

 nant parent. And in a case where the father is the strongest 

 in all respects, in vigor, in vitality, in intellect, or in any 

 of those conditions which make up life and force, the larger 

 proportion of the progeny are males. So far as my own 

 observation goes in that matter, the principle is well sup- 

 ported. 



Mr. . I was interested in the statement of Mr. Wil- 

 liams in regard to his mare, which had first a colt that re- 

 sembled the dam, and then one that resembled the sire ; which 

 last he attributed to the fact that the stallion was exercised 

 in coming to Waltham. I believe that is true, from my ob- 

 servation and experience in breeding horses. I had a horse 

 some two years ago that was used constantly during the sea- 

 son of service ; that is, he was driven every day four, five, 

 or ten miles. Sometimes he was put to the plough. And dur- 

 ing the season he served between eighty and ninety mares ; 

 and almost every one of the colts partook of the characteris- 

 tics of the horse. He was a very active, strong, resolute 

 horse, large in size ; and there was not a single foal that was 

 deficient in energy, in strength, and hardly any that did not 

 partake more or less of his constitution and his size ; and I 

 attribute it to the fact that he was constantly exercised. I 

 have known horses that have been kept in the stall, and only 

 taken out at the time of service, where the results were 

 entirely different. I believe that is a matter that is often- 

 times overlooked in the breeding of horses. Many stallions 

 are pampered, over-fed, have no exercise ; and their progeny 

 are deficient in all the qualities that it is desired to transmit. 

 I was very glad to hear the experience of Mr. Williams in 

 that direction. I think it illustrates a fact. 



The subject was laid on the table, the hour assigned to the 

 question-box having arrived. 



