HORSES. 351 



farmers of Hampden. That interesting exhibition has clearly 

 demonstrated many facts in relation to this stock of domestic 

 animals, which are available by every one interested. A prac- 

 tical lesson has been placed before them, from which they must 

 be thoughtless indeed if they do not avail themselves of some 

 tangible advantage. But we must return to the reports of the 

 several awarding committees at our own show. These, like 

 our exhibition, will be found in unison with the old adage, " a 

 short horse is soon curried." 



FEANKLIN. 



From the Report of the Committee. 



The committee have been much gratified to learn that the 

 interest in the subject of breeding horses has much increased 

 during the past year in this county ; believing, as they do, that 

 it may be rendered a source of greater profit to the farmers 

 of this region than it has yet been. The horse that is needed 

 in a business community is, emphatically, what has been called 

 the "horse of all work," and that breed is unquestionably the 

 best which combines the largest nurhber of those qualities 

 which render an animal fit for various duties and labors. For 

 these purposes a horse should possess physical strength and 

 endurance for the drawing of burdens and carrying loads, and 

 yet should have lightness and quickness enough for use on the 

 road ; above every thing, he should have a sound and healthy 

 constitution, for without this, he must be useless for either of 

 the above purposes. 



In breeding horses, it should be remembered that it is ag 

 cheap, or nearly so, to raise a good horse as to raise a poor 

 one, if the necessary pains are taken at the start. But nothing 

 can be a more useless waste of time and money, than to under- 

 take to raise good stock from animals which are themselves 

 worthless. The first thing to be regarded, then, is the sound- 

 ness and health of the animals from which we are undertaking 

 to breed; and, if in that respect, they are unsatisfactory, it is 

 far better to abandon the idea of raising stock from them, than 

 to devote three or four years to colts which will not pay for the 



