217 



so many inferior mares have been put to Sir Gerald evidently witli the 

 belief on the part of the owner that the sire was all that was necessary 

 to produce good stock. 



The progeny of properly selected mares by Sir Gerald appear to be 

 the most promising and desirable stock for our own work, and even 

 the most prejudiced must admit there are to-day many fine colts and 

 fillies from Sir Gerald, although I do not 'hink it was the best type of 

 horse to import — as in the tropics horseflesh tends to decrease in size. 

 We should certainly have had a larger pony than Sir Gerald, at the 

 same time I think it must be admitted that upon the whole Sir Gerald 

 has proved fairly satisfactory. 



C. L. Walker, Esq. : I condemn the importation of ponies, the 

 island producing them in great numbers. The Hackney Stallions im- 

 ported by the Agricultural Society were not of the stamp required in 

 the island. 



Hon. W. Watson : Decided improvement, and with better care and 

 more attention the benefits will be very much more marked. Those of 

 Sir Gerald's colts which I have seen and known are very fine. 



J. E.. Williams, Esq. : I have only had- opportunity of seeing the 

 stock got by the Welsh Pony Stallion " Sir Gerald." I have had four 

 of his colts— all out of well-bred mares but not thoroughbred. All 

 have been satisfactory, showing much heavier frames than the ordinary 

 Creole stock, rather too heavy, and some of them inclined to be coarse 

 and though purely grass-fed as colts, they are of ver}^ fair size. 



I am trying one of the fillies for mule-breeding and look forward to 

 getting stout and heavy mules from her. 



My experience suggests that the ^ bred stock of this strain, the issue 

 of Sir Gerald's colts, will be of a very useful t^'pe and show consider- 

 able improvement on their purely Creole progenitors. 



R. L Young, Esq. : The Hackneys were too heavy a class to breed 

 from in this country, the high stepping action would tend to tire 

 them very soon. They are not meant for the class of work to which 

 they would be put. 



On the other hand Sir Gerald would have been just the sire for 

 breeding serviceable ponies, if he had one hand more to tiis stature. 

 As it is, liis colts are fine hand}^ little ponies, very active in the draught 

 and up to gi eat weight under the saddle. In my opinion his fillies 

 crossed with thoroughbred sires are going to produce first rate polo 

 ponies as weight carriers. 



Summary by H. H. Cousins. 



There is a general concensus of opinion that the Hackneys were not 

 only a failure in fact but also in principle. The Hackney is a com- 

 posite animal and when crossed with a pure breed is apt to throw back 

 to undesirable ancestors. 



It is possible that a smaller type of Hackney (14 '3) might produce 

 better results in getting actioned buggy horses for town use. 



The Welsh pony has carried many awa}' from the comeliness of his 

 get, but clearly this has been ' breeding from capital' and has resulted 

 in a deterioration of the size of our horses. It will be difiicult to 



