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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



ferreting out. In the more recent purchases are 

 Hurry Scurry (Precursor's dam) ; Carlotta, by 

 Orlando; and Lady Audrey, by Pantaloon; and 

 taking the test by what we saw, there are very few 

 even middling ones amongst them. The grey 

 Irish mare lacks style, going back as she does to 

 the " coach-horse" Tarrare ; Marie Wilton wants 

 size; and old Margaret, about worn out when 

 picked up in the neighbourhood, can hardly keep 

 company with such noble dames as Botany, 

 Madame Chcquot (whose name has been injudi- 

 ciously changed to Forget-me-not), The Belle, 

 Olympias, Repartee, Mainbrace, Prioress, and 

 Petticoat. The produce of these mares will show 

 such a sample of yearlings by next spring as per- 

 haps no other young stud of the same standing has 

 ever been able to offer. 



As it is, a lot of eight yearlings will come this 

 season to Tattersall's on the Monday after the 

 Derby ; but the world must by no means judge by 

 these of what the Mamhead stud can or will do. 

 The pride of them, however, is a fine long- 

 striding filly, Lurline, by Gemma di Vergy, out of 

 Repartee ; not quite so like the horse as many of 

 the foals, but still with the clean head, good back, 

 and great square hocks, and rare liberty in her 

 action. Grouped with her in the same paddock 

 were three other fillies — the pick, Devoniensis, by 

 Fandango, out of the Melbourne mare, a little 

 short, but wonderfully like her sire, and with a deal 

 of substance; while she has the further credit of 

 being an own sister to the flying Ballerino, a fact 

 that is sure to tell at the hammer. Then, side by 

 side with her, was the Gardener's Daughter, by 

 Teddington, out of Botany, a stylish filly that has 

 not been doing quite so well as the others ; and 

 Quickstep, a Vandyke filly, out of the Teddington 

 mare. There is another plainish colt out of Madame 

 Chcquot, by Vandyke, the first stallion Sir Lyd- 

 ston ever had, and that unluckily, or luckily, broke 

 his leg a season or two since. He was a Flying 

 Dutchman horse ; and the Days made some fuss 

 over him at Ascot, when the sweet-going Sedbury 

 drew away from them over the New Mile. A 

 Sweetmeat colt, called Newfoundland, out of an 

 own sister to Promised Land, both from his pedi- 

 gree and his appearance should make money, for 

 he is Ja fine-topped, blood-like-looking colt; but 

 the " gem" of this year's " entry," in the way of 

 good looks, is "The Count;" although, say it we 

 must, but the model of a handsome park hack ; 

 while he, no doubt, gets much of this fashion from 

 his sire. Count Batthyany's Arab. As a set off to 

 him, the grey steeplechase mare has a curious- 

 coloured colt by Cannobie, with one of the sourest 

 heads we ever saw; and it is extraordinary to note 

 how much Gemma di Vergy has improved upon it 

 in the handsome filly foal the same mare has now 

 by him. It will be gathered that, on the whole, 

 we do not estimate the Mamhead yearlings of 

 'sixty-one so very highly ; and, indeed, we question 

 whether there should have been any set sale at all 

 this season. The stud had not got into fair working 

 order, and but little proof will come of it of what 

 such a horse as Gemma di Vergy will do for it. 

 The taste of him, however, has already been enough, 

 and his subscription is full, the Royal stud send- 



ing tivo mares, one of which. The Deformed, 

 has now a yearling filly to him, very highly 

 spoken of. 



And now we really must go, despite the old Cap- 

 tain and the two thorough-bred mares he is sending 

 to Masaniello, or the caution he is quoting over 

 Mat Dawson's Lord of the Isles colt — the flashiest 

 young gentleman, with his light coat and his v/hite 

 heels, in all these parts, where a much more sober 

 fashion is running on brown muzzles and black 

 legs. Only hark to what the Captain has to say of 

 him ! 



" Four white feet— sell hitn soon away ; 



Three white feet — keep him not a day; 



Two white feet — 8wap him to a friend ; 



One white foot— keep him to his end." 



But they will make tourists of us, after all ; al- 

 though really, my friend, we know Devonshire 

 very well as it is — have dawdled away a day at 

 Dawlish — have lounged over the Strand at Teign- 

 mouth — tried hard to breathe, walk, and talk at 

 Torquaj', and drawn the Hoe at Plymouth. But 

 still in South Devon, further south, and a little 

 more oflf the line. Sir Lydston, we hear, has another 

 seat, as famous in its way for its site and its beau- 

 ties. And we wake up in a moment — What ! 

 another Gemma di Vergy ? More Botany to study, 

 and other American plants to look at ? Let us go, 

 by all manner of means. And we 'scape Dawlish, 

 Newton, and Totnes, to be embarked by the next 

 morning on the ever-sacred waters of Slapton Lea 

 — that sweet home of the wild fowl, where the duck 

 breed, the moor-hen dive, and the teal in all im- 

 munity sail lazily round the ever-quivering float of 

 the fisherman. Where the perch fairly tire your 

 arm out, and pike as long and strong as shark go 

 for speed in their set-to with the lusty troller. 

 Where, at the Sands Hotel, Mr. Rolfe's sketches 

 hold high places, and grateful visitors testify in 

 every variety of mood and metre, how 



" As they took their cup of tea 

 They sung the praise of Slapton Lea ; 

 Or, 



O'er thtir glass of eau-de-vie 

 Tell all they did in Slapton Lea." 



As, again, 



" The pounds of fish they all had collared. 

 And how they fared with Mr. Pollard — 

 WJiat lots of lush and prog they awaller'J 

 Under the roof of Mr. Pollard." 



And so on. But there is a smack of other beauties 

 more after our own hearts, even in this cozy retreat 

 of the jolly angler, and very hot-house of the pri- 

 vileged hunter. The young farmer who makes be- 

 lieve he is going to show us a long-wool comes 

 accidentally across a Metal two-year-old ; and 

 there are rumours that, though Sir Lydston may 

 not be down till the Autumn, " the great Handicap- 

 per," as they reverently speak of him, is come into 

 the neighbourhood. Then, with a kindness and 

 courtesy, for which we cannot be too grateful. Sir 

 Henry Seale draws banks and braes full of thick 

 lying — of the primrose and the violet — with the 

 hope of finding us a fox. But bold reynard alone 

 is unkind, and we must so be content with a glance 

 over the gallant master's small wiry sort of hound — 

 the very thing for the country — and a hear- say 



