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706 REPORT OF THE: COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 
The value of the/trotting-bred horse has been constantly on thein- — 
crease, until now the breeding business is a vast interest to which ~~ 
unlimited capital is devoted. That the trotter should be in America 
a more valued breed that his brother aristocrat, the thoroughbred, 
is natural. If the thoroughbred race-horse fails to develop the — 
speed, stamina, and disposition necessary to sticcess on the tutf he 
is almost worthless. He is a good racing machine or he is nothing. 
But on the other hand the trotter, even if he lacks the capacities 
essential to success on the turf, is still, if bred wisely, valuable. 
For the family carriage, for the park, for the road, for the farm, his — 
versatile gifts make him profitable even though he fails on the turf. 
When I speak, therefore, of the trotter the reader will remember — 
that I refer not always to a racing animal, but to a light-harness 
horse, that is only produced in the best form when trotting-bred. 
Very seldom has a better test of the relative value of trotting and 
running (or thoroughbred) horses been offered than in October, 1886, 
when two great breeding studs, one of thorotighbred, the other of 
trotting horses, were dispersed under the hammer, At Louisville, | 
Ky., the Jate John C. McFerran had founded and established the 
Glenview stud, which rose to the front rank of ‘“‘ nurseries of trot- 
ters.” At Jobstown, N. J., Mr. Pierre Lorillard’s Rancocas stud of | 
thoroughbreds, the choicest in the land, was situated. Dispersal 
sales wete held of these famous collections within a few days of 
each other, and the following averages were realized: 
RANCOCAS THOROUGHBREDS. 
APETARe TOE SrAINONE. 2)... ei h3 58 bed sle css 6 oe snus TOP ARIAL Wie f $6, 390. 00 
Average Tor brood-WMaress 3 2sbsss.F et. cas. tlatas Mess ste .86e a8 lees 1,422.27 
Grand average for stallions and brood-mares...:::....04.:.00008. 1, ‘721.62 
GLENVIEW TROTTERS, “ i 
Average for Btallions: 2.:./.:¢i.eaee.0es¢2.00ct herevarsees (oeeesbdeet See 
Pevorage tol VTGGU-MIATESs 8. v8.0 serie «22 2.8 Fels Ss os aie od ole eee eee 1, 678.00 
Grarid average for stallions and brood-mares. .......:..:.5:..5.4. 2, 238. 75 
These prices, it must be remembered, represent the values, as de- 
termined by the public in 1886, of the most fashionable blood, and 
of course either of trotters or thoroughbreds only those bred in lines 
of blood reniowned on the turf would realize prices approximating 
these. 
The very first question confronting the practical man contemplat- 
ing a profitable business in horse-breeding is, ‘‘ What is the most 
profitable horse to breed ?”’ I think the most profitable horse for 
any man to breed is the one he understands the best. But to the 
breeder that is not an expert in any particular branch, beyond doubt 
the most profitable class of horses are those salable for roadsfets, for 
city and general driving. This is the horse that most eminently fits 
the title “light-harness horse.” He should be large, say about 
16 Hatids high, with substance, fair speed, good disposition, and 
beauty. The horse to possess all these qualities combined in one 
valued whole is produced from trotting blood. If we are not breed- x 
ing especially for speed we need not of course particularly select 
the inost fashionable blood. In almost any trotting-bred animal . 
sufficient speed for the purpose will befound. The selection should 
be directed chiefly to securing size, style, docility, form, and qual- 
