15° ' Journal of Agriculture. [8 March, 1907. 



2. ''Authorised" stallions, which receive no premium, but whose 



progeny are eligible to compete at shows subsidized by the State. There 

 Avere licensed of these in 1904: — 



Thoroughbrds. Arabs and Anglo-Arab ... 23 



Not T.horoughljreds ... ... ... 28 



Draught ... ... ... ... 202 



253 



3. " Accepted " stallions, which ha\e nothing to recommend them but 

 a certificate of freedom from roaring and intermittent ophthalmia. In 

 1904, 7,629 stallions were "accepted" by the Committees charged with 

 the duties of examination. 



During the same year, the "approved" stallions performed 75,717 

 services, and the "authorized" stallions 11,945. Xo record is kept of 

 the covering by the third class, or "accepted " stallions. 



Stud Farm. — There is only one Government Stud Farm, and this is at 

 Pompadour, where 60 mares are kept. English thoroughbred, Arab and 

 Anglo-Arab, horses are bred at Pompadour, and the farm is onlv a small 

 factor in the general scheme of breeding. Impro\ement is sought princi- 

 pally through the provision of good stallions. 



Bounties are also given for brood mares, fillv foals, and a prize for 

 horse-breaking at public competitions. These measures encourage 

 owners to retain possession of the best breeding stock for the benefit of the 

 nation, and stimulate endeavour among the people to achieve skill as horse 

 master.s. 



About ;^3o8.ooo of public money is spent annuallv in France in horse 

 breeding. The expenditure includes the maintenance of the stallion studs 

 and depots, purchase of horses, premiums to private stallion owners, prizes 

 given at races and local shows, &c. About ;^ioo.ooo of this total is 

 derived from the tax or percentages on the pari-mutuel or betting organiza- 

 tion, which tax is ear-marked by the Treasury to devote to horse-breeding. 



What I saw of breeding operations in France gave rise to the following 

 reflections : — 



There must always be a large proportion of disappointments in stud 

 work : the number of failures or misfits will always exceed the good ones 

 bred ; and the misfit got by the thoroughbred from, sav, a light half-bred 

 mare is only too often a misfit in the fullest sense — a disappointment to 

 the breeder, too light for farm work, and scarcely fit for anv useful pur- 

 pose. It is a weed in e\ery sense of the term. France at the present 

 time can, after 60 years of careful selection, show us distinct and well- 

 marked breeds of horse (Normans), which can be depended on to breed 

 true to type. 



France breeds for business, and not for pleasure. The aim is to pro- 

 duce the highest class of useful horse. With this definite object in view, 

 the authorities have for the past 60 years been purchasing English mares, 

 free from bias in favour of one strain or another. The shape and not 

 the pedigree of the mare guides the purchase so long as the breeding is 

 pure. They also -buy sound \oung mares for work with the \iew of 

 breeding from them after. 



The point worthy of notice is that owing to the methods pursued on 

 the Continent the foreigner's misfits are unlike ours. The foreigner's is 

 useful for general purposes, if it is not of sufficient quality to sell in the 

 most remunerative market as a carriage ,horse. It was a surprise to me to 



