126 State Board of Aghicultukk, &c. 



this work, tbis item of disposition is one of great impor- 

 tance, and one which we shall refer to more fully under 

 another head. 



Another requisite for the Yermonter's horse is early ma- 

 turity, or, at least, the ability to perform much of the 

 work of the farm while he is growing, maturing and 

 becoming fitted for market, without breaking down or 

 becoming unsound by such use. And, lastly under this 

 bead, Vermonters should raise such horses that, as they 

 arrive at maturity, will bj'ing good prices in market ; and 

 the nearer they come to gentlemen's stylish driving horses 

 and fulfill the other requirements, the better, and the more 

 they will bring. What I would define as my ideal of a 

 gentleman's driving horse, is one of medium size, well pro- 

 portioned, clean, flat limbs, strongly made, but not coarse 

 or gross ; good color, bay, brown, black or chestnut ; he 

 should have a good, easy road gait, that will take along a 

 buggy, with two men in it, a mile in four minutes, ten miles 

 in an hour, or from sixty to eighty miles in a day ; with a 

 courageous, free disposition, that will not require more work 

 to get this performance out of him than it is worth when 

 you get it. With all, he should have a bottom or endur- 

 ance that will not make it impossible to sometimes repeat 

 these performances, and enable him to perform a reasonable 

 amount of driving every day. With all tliese, a good, 

 kindly disposition, free from all tricks or vices, is indispen- 

 sable. Au}^ horse that possesses all these good qualities, is 

 worth any where from three to five hundred dollars ; and 

 the more beaut}^ and style in performing this work you can 

 combine in them, the more can be added to the prices, with 



