201 



fact as a rule however large the stallion may be if " put to" a small 

 mare, the progeny will nearly always be small as the mare has not 

 sufficient room to develop a large foal. An instance of this is found 

 in mule breeding. However big the stallion is if "put to" a jenny 

 the progeny is generally small. I believe however, that by judiciously 

 mating the mares we have got in the island with the right type of 

 stallion a good class pony can be bred. 



A. Roxburgh, Esq. : I don't think so. "We have a good supply of 

 mares well bred, and only requiring careful selection, to breed from. 

 They may want shape and bone, but good strong sires will supply 

 those qualities. The mares have theblood — which probably the import- 

 ed mares would not possess. 



Messrs. T. H. Sharp & Son : It is not desirable to import mares, 

 the stock should be improved by sires. 



J. Shore, Esq. : 1 think so — but this could only be done by private 

 persons, not by societies — the progeny from a mare being limited. 



The mares got by English stallions now in the country could be put 

 to Arabian imported stallions. 



Perhaps a few mares could be imported of the Arabian breed also, 

 to start a stock from acclimatized. 



Bernard Toole, Esq. : While the results from mares brought into 

 the island must be necessarily slow I am of opinion thtit the importa- 

 tion of a few good ones would be advantageous. Strong well bred 

 animals of fair size between fifteen and sixteen hands — and from three 

 to five years old would suit. The selected male produce of these mares 

 might be good enough to keep for stallions and thus render the 

 importation of fresh blood (at least for some time) unnecessary. I 

 take it that both mares and stallions would be kept at a suitable place 

 by the Government or Agricultural Society or some such body under 

 intelligent management and that their services would as far as possible 

 be available to the whole island at a reasonable cost. The stallions 

 should I think be distributed during the season at suitable centres and 

 return to their head quarters when the season expires In no case 

 should the imported mares be intrusted to private individuals. 



United Fruit Co. : The importation of mares should, we think, be 

 left to private individuals who may be so minded, as it would be a more 

 difficult task and i oo costly to raise our standard in that way. 



A. B. Ventresse, Esq. : If suggestion 1 is not carried out then I 

 should like to see some mares imported, and they should be of the Hunter 

 or Hackney class, because our standard of good serviceable stallions at 

 present are much greater in proportion to the number of good mares, 

 and the above named class of mares with our "wn stallions should 

 produce good serviceable horses for our own uses, as well as for 

 remounts, at the same time I am well aware that this would not 

 produce any standard breed, but I think our object should be utility 

 and nut the cultivation of special breede. 



Hon. C. B, Vickers : Mares might be imported with advantage if 

 the expense be not an obstacle. 



Hon. W. Watson : No. As the question of acclimatising is one of 



