19'c) 



be wise to import any mares as their cost of keep would be heavy and 

 probably beyond our means and possibly wreck any attempt to resus- 

 citate breeding. We must go slowly at first. 



W. Gr. Clark, Esq. : Yes, certainly, but only if the Government 

 start a stock farm and import a quantity, say at least 20 — or, the 

 Agricultural Society to import a certain quantity every year selling 

 them at public auction on their arrival. 



W. Cradwick, Esq.: No, the mares in the country are good enough 

 being usually much better cared than the geldings. 



E,. Craig, Esq. : It is clearly most desirable to import mares — 

 without good dams it is impossible to raise good quadrupeds of any kind. 

 Just where these can, or can best be procured, is a difiicult question — 

 price, including cost of importation, is perhaps the most important 

 factor — for merely local use, and sale, a high price could not be given 

 — with a subsidy, or the guarantee of a certain price at a certain age, 

 for stock produced, the position would be raised. 



I am not prepared to say from what country mares could be obtained 

 — possibly Canada or the United States — but I have not seen, from 

 either of these countries, the type of mare I would choose. They may 

 however, be obtainable. Those I have seen, are heavy footed as a rule 

 in fact heavy all over, and not sufficiently compact and active. If the 

 matter of importing mares was taken up by the Government, as I 

 think it should be, and the type of mare most desirable decided on, it 

 would be necessary, I think, to send say, two experienced persons 

 abroad to ascertain where supplies could be drawn from yearly The 

 mares should be half or three quarters bred by this description I 

 mean what are called in England light horses, us against heavy draft. 



James Daley, Esq. : No. 



H. G. T. Drew, Esq. : Yes, in order to maintain the high standard 

 of breeding recommended (the thoroughbred ) 



Import say 3 mares of same stamp as the stallion;', keep them under 

 skilled supervision, for say 3 months, have them served by the stallions 

 imported, then sol i at auction. Offer at your agricultural, or horse 

 show, a good premium for the best colt produced from these mares. 



Dr. C. R. Edwards : It is desirable to import mares. For prefer- 

 ence Flemish mares, to give us bone and quarters which our own mares 

 lack. 



C. A T. FuRSDON, Esq. : Yes, in order to get early results this is 

 very important, the island is exceptionally deficient in good bodied 

 mares. Given a stock farm, there should be at least 20 there, and 

 their progeny disjosed of at an annual sale. A premium should be 

 offered for mares of a stated quality imported for breeding purposes 

 and payable on birth of first coit. 



J. M. GiBB, Esq., V.S. : Yts. Mares of the Hackney stamp, about 

 8 mares. Piobably these could le got from the War Department. 

 Cast off mares, sound for breeding purposes. 



B. S. GossET, Esq. : I don't think imported mares are of much use 

 for breeding in Jamaica. I have known a good many, most are either 

 barren, miscarry their foals or do not raise them. 



