148 Journal of Agriculture . [8 March, 1907. 



Stallions shall compete onl\ in the " District Class " for which they 

 are entered, and exhibitors may not enter more than one stallion in each 

 class. 



The Commissioners reserve power to award to a stallion unsuccessful 

 in the district class for which he is entered a premium in the class of any 

 other district provided the exhibitor enters the stallion on these terms. 

 Should a premium be awarded in such other class, the obligations as to 

 location and service shall apply to the district for which the premium is 

 awarded, instead of the district for which the stallion is exhibited. 



The Commissioners are of opinion that the following diseases s.hall 

 disqualifv a thoroughbred stallinn for the purposes of this Commission, 

 viz. : — 



Roaring — Whistling. Navicular Disease. 



Ringbone. Spavin (Bone). 



Unsound Feet. Cataract. 



If any stallion winning a i)remium should not serve at least 30 half- 

 bred mares during the season, the Commissioners reserve the power to 

 reduce the premium, as provided bv the rules and regulations. 



The 23 premiums are distributed over 12 groups of counties in Eng- 

 land and Scotland; two groups having four premium stallions allotted, 

 five other groups three stallions, and the remaining five groups one stallion 

 each. I have a ro[)\ of the regulations governing the awarding of the 

 premiums, which I will be pleased to make available at any time. 



Continental Methods of Horse Culture. 



In order to learn what is being done by other countries for the improve- 

 ment in breeding of pure stock, I visited France, and there inspected M. 

 Blanc's stud; also the National Stud, at Le Pin Normandy, the latter 

 being one of the Government stud stations. Here I had the pleasure of 

 seeing 300 stallions, comprising thoroughbreds, half-bred Normans, 

 Venerdens, qualified trotters, English hackneys, draught sires, Percherons, 

 Boulonnais. The horse now being bred by the French Government for 

 general utility purpose is the Norman horse. This is a distinct type 

 produced by the French after 60 years of careful breeding on practical 

 lines, and can be depended upon to breed true to type. He is a class of 

 horse between the thoroughbred and draught, showing plenty of pace and 

 action. 



The methods adopted' by France can be realized somewhat from the 

 following facts, which I obtained from personal inspection and inquiry 

 and from perusal of Sir Walter Gilbey's notes on " Horse-breeding in 

 France.'" 



It being the object of the Government to foster and encourage the 

 breeding of horses of classes most useful to the people of the country, 

 there is in every public stud considerable variety of breed, and therefore 

 the owner of a mare may exercise his own judgment in selection of a sire. 

 The turf in France has always been made subservient to the serious 

 national work of breeding useful horses. Public money is not spent in 

 encouraging weeds onlv capable of carrying six or seven stones over a five- 

 furlong course. 



Under the law of the 29th March. 1874. the horse-breeding establish- 

 ments of France were re-organized. It was then enacted that the State 

 should purchase stallions at the rate of 200 per year, until a total of 2,500 

 had been reached. In 1892, other legislation was passed sanctioning a 



