Thk Coming Hokse. 151 



and demoralizing for farmers and farmers' sons, as I, my- 

 self, am. 



It has been said that " criticism is the work of a literary 

 failure," and if I pass this subject with the remark that the 

 principle applies well to the criticism of breeders' experi- 

 ences, and history-like repeat myself, by drawing somewhat 

 upon facts, statements and deductions then presented, that 

 have shown themselves sound by these five years' later tests, 

 I trust I may be pardoned. 



That Vermont has enjoyed an exceeding high renown 

 for her horses, that the Yermont Morgan was, before the 

 age of steam, when people travelled by their own convey- 

 ances, and rode da}^ after day, up hill and down hill, weeks 

 at a time, or when the United States mail coaches ran 

 their daily lines over the hills and through the vales of 

 ^'^ew England, truly a valuable and, I may say, an almost 

 indispensable assistant, no one will deny. 



His courage, docility and indomitable pluck, his compact- 

 ness of form, and short, quick step, admirably fitted him 

 for, and gave him position as, a first class stage horse and 

 roadster in Ids place ; that he held long by the excellence 

 of his achievements, and the roughness of the fields upon 

 which he lal)ored. 



He was bred for a purj)ose, and admirably fulfilled it. 



This is not an isolated case of l)reeding to meet the 

 wants of a people, or the necessities of a locality. 



In Virginia they have bred runners for years, because 

 the state of their roads was such, and is, to-day, more or 

 less, as to require saddle horses for rapid and easy loco- 

 motion. 



