146 Journal of Agriculture. [8 March, 1907. 



Newmarket, Doncaster, Ascot, and attended the principal blood stock sales, 

 only to find that the class of horse required was scarcely obtainable. I 

 found that the purchase of blood stallions 15 to 15.2 hands high, with 

 8 inches of bone, was almost an impossibility at any price within reason, 

 owing to the foreign buyers being prepared to give fancy prices for this 

 class of horse, prices far in excess of that for which the same class of 

 horse can be purchased here in Australia. Furthermore, there are not 

 man\ of the stamp to be got at any price, for the English blood horse, as 

 a rule, stands 16 hands high or over nowadays. The foreign buyer has 

 agents almost evervwhere, who get on the track of any suitable horse im- 

 mediatelv it is for sale. They give ^2,000 or ^3.000 for a good 

 fashionably-bred horse that has broken down. Man\ of these horses are 

 bought by the German Government for re-sale to breeders. The sales 

 are effected at auction, the horses realizing perhaps less than one-half their 

 cost in England, but thev are sold on condition that the Government has 

 first call on their progeny at a fixed price. 



Having been disappointed in the effort to obtain the stamp of thorough- 

 lired stipulated, I cabled you on September 22nd as follows: — "Stout- 

 boned thoroughbreds, 15 hands to 15.2 unobtainable. Are you prepared 

 to take horses stout-boned up to 16 hands?" to which I received the replv, 

 "Xo ; if commission cannot be carried out. abandon."' and I cannot help 

 hut think that this decision was a wise one. for I feel sure that, apart 

 from the advantage to be gained by the introduction of fresh lines of 

 blood, as well may be done by purchasing thoroughbreds in Australia — 

 the tvpe of horse that the Indian and the Japanese Goxernments have Ijeen 

 buving from us for some vears back. 



It is, nevertheless, very disappointing to me to have to report failure 

 to execute vour desires, but it will alwavs be a satisfactory reflection of 

 mine that I refrained from incurring an expenditure that I could not .have 

 well justified, and that could only have had results short of what was anti- 

 cipated. 



The time occupied, and the extent of the country covered, in my jour- 

 nevings will be gleaned from a reference to the sul)joined list of some of 

 the places visited bv me while engaged in attempting to carry out your 

 commission : — 



The Royal Horse Show, Rich- Peml)rokeshire (Bristol)- 



mond. Elsenham Hall (Sir Walter Gib- 

 The Roval Agricultural Show, nev's Hackney and Welsh Col^ 



Derby.' Stud). 



Mr. J. Jones, Colwyn Hav. Perth Ponv Sale. 



Liyerpool. Dumfries. 



Crewes and Chester. Aberwyth Horse Show. 



Llanfyllin (Dugdale's Stud). Tragaron. 



Bettas-y-Coed Stud. Macknllith. 



Mount Snowden (herds of moun- Montgomery. 



tain ponies). Buxton (SirGilbertGreenhill's Stud).. 



Wrexham. Dul>lin Horse Show. 



Welshpool. Clonmell Thoroughbred Studs. 



Llanfair. The Curragh Thoroughbred Studs. 



Garthmyl. Montgomer\ shire. Waterford. 



Idandella (Jones's Manoravon Newmarket Blood Stock Sales. 



Stud). Ascot Blood Stock Sales. 



Cardiganshire. Doncaster Blood Stock Sales. 



