413 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



that horses were within this category ; more particularly that 

 I am old enough to remember in boyish days the high 

 encomiums that were passed on Shropshire hunters, as they 

 rattled over the plains of Leicestershire. I therefore antici- 

 pated much pleasure in viewing this most noble of animals, in 

 all its perfection, by my residence amongst you ; but, alas ! a 

 abort time tended to dispel the visions of my dream, for I soon 

 found that a good Shropshire horse was now the exception, not 

 the rule. This, gentlemen, is much to be regreted. You 

 stand deservedly high in your breed of Hereford?, and you 

 have a world-wide fame in your breed of sheep. Why not, 

 gentlemen, add to this a distinct breed of horses ? I am sure, 

 with the same determination and perseverance that has enabled 

 you to raise up your celebrated Shropshire downs, from 

 amidst the chaos that heretofore surrounded you, would 

 enable you to raise a distinct and an equally famed breed of 

 horses. I came from a residence in Lincolnshire and Suffolk. 

 I there found a breed of horses second to none, and as true to 

 their character as any of the celebrated breeds of cattle or 

 sheep — " Go and do likewise." I have to apologize for having 

 made these lengthened remarks in the presence of so many 

 practical men, but I could not refrain from a desire to urge 

 upon you the necessity of improving your breed of horses. 

 Before I resume my seat I must beg to differ with the lecturer 

 as to the formation of the draught horse — that his shoulders 

 should be vertical and overhang the feet. It is true this for- 

 mation may assist the horse to start its load, but I doubt very 

 much the power of endurance in a horse so formed, and the 

 probability is that before he arrived at his journey's end he 

 would topple over on his knees, and you would have to leave 

 him on the road-side (Hear). 



Mr. Evans reminded the Chairman that he had only said 

 that the cart horse should have a shoulder comparatively up- 

 right ; not so oblique as the hackney. He hated the sight, or 

 even the thought of such an upright shoulder as the chairman 

 had described (Hear, hear). 



The Chairman : To some extent this may be true, but it 

 is better to err on the other side. I shall now be happy to 

 hear the opinions of any other gentleman. 



Mr. John Meire : I quite reciprocate the sentiments of 

 our chairman in his eulogium on the interesting and instructive 

 lecture we have just heard, a paper which evinces on the part 

 of Mr. Evans great research and industry, and a little steady 

 perseverance will bring him out a first-class lecturer. I admit, 

 and with others deeply regret, the great falling off in the 

 breeding of horses in Shropshire— but there are causes for it. 

 During the Peninsular and Continental wars, the profits of 

 farming in England assumed a high position, and landlords 

 with increasing rents were not averse to see their tenants enjoy 

 the sports of the field on the back of a good hunter, nor were 

 parents averse to spare their sons occasionally from the toils of 

 the farm, to brace up their system by joining in the noble pastime 

 of fox-hunting, and those parents who had sufficient foresight 

 endeavoured to breed such a class of horses, that whilst it 

 enabled them to indulge their sons, at the same time created 

 the necessity for the enlargement of their own pockets. My 

 father was one (and there were many others) who was alive to 

 this, and his first care was to secure good brood mares. This 

 being done, common care in the selections of his stallions 

 enabled him to raise up a class of hunters second to none, 

 and that, too, with a sharp eye to profit and loss. The pro- 

 duce of one mare alone sold for £1,000, and this was not an 

 isolated case, as many other farmers were equally successful. 

 Eut on the termination of the war a great reverse in farming 

 took place; agricultural produce of all descriptions fell to a 

 fearful ebb. This made continual Applications for a reduction 



in rents necessary, and these applications seemed inconsistent 

 with the retaining of hunting horses ; indeed, there were 

 landlords short-sighted enough to assert that farmers had no 

 business with hunting horses. The consequence was a com- 

 plete clearing-out of these valuable animals, and nothing was 

 retained on the farm, except some ill- shaped mares that could 

 not be turned into money, and from these ill-assorted dams 

 the future breed of horses in Shropshire was to be sustained. 

 The result has been what every sensible man anticipated — a 

 complete blottiug-out of Shropshire from the map of England 

 as a horse-breeding county. But I think I see the dawn of 

 better days. I now occasionally see some young farmers of 

 the right sort show themselves in the field, and as this in- 

 creases so will be the desire to improve the breed of horses. 

 But I would strongly urge upon my brother- farmers the neces- 

 sity of great care in the selection of brood mares, and never 

 think of breeding from ill-formed parents. Remember, " like 

 begets like." It is true, perhaps, that some of our best 

 racers have been bred from small mares ; but to breed hunters 

 and carriage horses select roomy, weight-carrying mares. With 

 this precaution, I do not despair of yet seeing Shropshire be- 

 come as celebrated for its horses as it is now for its sheep 

 (Cheers.) 



Mr. H. Smith : I sincerely congratulate and thank Mr. 

 Evans for the very valuable paper he has just read to us. I 

 know little of horses, as I never got astride of one ; but I can 

 truly sympathise with Mr. Evans in his regret on the breed of 

 our hunters, for the hounds frequently pass over my farm, and 

 although my hedges are very low the hunters make horrid 

 large gaps. (Laughter.) I have had some little experience 

 with sheep, and in my opinion both male and female have con- 

 siderable influence on their progeny ; and I am of opinion that 

 if we are to maintain our superiority in sheep we must stick 

 to the Shropshire breed. Any admixture with another blood 

 will be sure to deteriorate the flock. 



The Chairman : Have you such a distinct breed that you 

 can go on without having recourse to the Southdown ? 



Mr. Saml. Meire : There is not a doubt of it. If I could 

 ensure my life for 100 years, I could keep my flock up to its 

 standard without going to any other flock for aid. It is very 

 easy to do it when you know how. There is no donbt but 

 that the Shropshire sheep is a cross-bred sheep, and what breed 

 is not? I should like to ask those who boast of the purity of 

 the Southdown as if that was the sheep that came out of the 

 ark. 



Mr. J. Meiee : It is not attempted to he denied that the 

 Shropshire is a cross-bred sheep. The original breed were 

 horned sheep, and the first attempt at improvement was to 

 get rid of those incumbrances ; and there is little doubt but 

 that this was effected by a cross from the Southdown. These 

 sheep no doubt are well adapted for the downs, where they 

 have to travel far and work hard for their living ; but for 

 our enclosures we wanted somethmg more docile, consequently 

 recourse was had to the Leicester— at least, that I know was 

 my father's proceeding, dipping into each blood as the flock 

 needed it. But when my friend to the left began to assume 

 the helm of affairs, he asked himself this question — What is 

 the object of this crossing and recrossiug ? Why, it is to 

 produce a superior sheep to either of the existing breeds. I 

 will not do it. I will produce sheep having the size and apti- 

 tude to fatten of the Leicester with the flesh of the South- 

 down. I will have his .wool equal to the Leicester in length 

 of staple, but not inferior to the Southdown in fineness of 

 texture; and, gentlemen, he has done it. (Cheers.) 



Mr. Evan Davie s expressed his regret for having fixed 



