8 March, 1907.] huprovcinoit in Horsc-brccdiiig. 149 



further increase in the number of State stallions by annual additions to 

 the number of 50. Finally, in 1900, a third enactment authorized the 

 purchase of 50 stallions a year until the number owned by the State should 

 reach a gross total of 3,450. 



France, for stud purposes, is divided into six districts, w.hich contain 

 22 Government studs for stallions. At these studs, on the ist Januarv, 

 1905, 3.267 stallions of different breeds were available for distribution 

 among 689 local covering stations for the public service. 



The stallions are divided into three classes, and the strength of the 

 studs at the beginning of 1905 was as follows: — 



Thoroughbreds — 



Thoroughbreds ... ... ... 244 



Arabs ... ... ... ... 102 



Anglo-Arabs ... ... ... 233 



Not Thoroughbreds — 



Southern Half-breds ... ... ... 200 



Normans and Vendeans ... ... 1.451 



Qualified Trotters ... ... ... 307 



English Hackneys ... ... ... 120 



English Hackney (Cross-ln-eds) ... ... 74 



Draught — 



Percherons ... ... ... ^01 



Boulonnais ... ... ... ... 71 



Ardennes ... ... ... ... 98 



Bretons ... ... ... ... 66 



3,-^67 



The service charged to owners for these stallion.s varies from a minimum 

 of 5s. to 1 6s. per mare. 



During the year 1904, there were 3,213 stallions belonging to the State 

 in actual work. These covered 175,956 mares. Looking more clo.sely 

 into the returns of service, it is found that in the thoroughbred class 

 (English, Arab, and Anglo-Arab), 583 stallions performed 25,577 services., 

 or about 44 each; the half-bred class, 109,271 services, or nearly 52 each; 

 and the draught sires, 41,108, or over 79 each. The stallions at each local 

 covering station are changed frequentlv. 



Besides the 3,213 stallions belonging to the State, there is a large 

 number in the hands of private owners. Any stallion whose services are 

 available to the public must be licensed by the Government as belonging to 

 one of these classes: — 



I. "Approved" stallions, which are considered good enough to im- 

 prove the breed of horses. These are sub-divided into two classes. Sires 

 which can earn over 100 francs (^^4) per service constitute the first class; 

 the.se receive no bountv from the State. The second class consists of sires, 

 for whose services less than 100 francs is charged by tlie owner; these 

 receive an annual premium of from ;£,\2 to ^80 a venr. In 1904 there 

 were 1,479 approved stallions, viz.: — 



Thoroughbreds, Arabs and Anglo-Aral) ... 306 

 Not Thoroughbred ... ... .-■ 459 



Draught ... ... ... ■•• 715 



1.479 



