CURIOUS DISPOSAL OF YEARLINGS 291 



Latterly, I think, he gave his mares with foals by their 

 side a little corn, which the latter had no chance of 

 getting the benefit of under such unfavourable circum- 

 stances. But after they were weaned he was much more 

 liberal in their diet, as well as in the quality of it. His 

 stud altogether must have suffered very much from bad 

 management and inattention to their requirements in- 

 sufficiency of strength was a fatal error. ' A penny wise 

 and pound foolish ' system is not a good one ; yet he 

 thought so, and did not mind ' spoiling the ship for the 

 sake of a pennyworth of tar.' To look after some ninety 

 brood-mares, fifty foals, forty yearlings, and three stallions, 

 he had a stud-groom on a pound a week, with eight or 

 nine men and a couple of boys under him. The number 

 of foals and yearlings, it will be seen, is not quite up to 

 the average ; but the wonder is rather that he had so 

 many. When he commenced, his stallions were like his 

 mares, bad; but afterwards he bought a different and 

 better class. He hired Happy Land (own brother to 

 Promised Land) from me, but after serving a few of his 

 mares, on leaving one he fell backward and broke his 

 back. He was only five years old at the time, and a 

 great loss to me. I never received one shilling compen- 

 sation. 



The way in which he used to dispose of his yearlings 

 was singular. He would sell in a lot the whole at about 

 40 each, or let you take half the best at about 60 each; 

 or he would sell and take in exchange for part of the 

 money, cows, pigs, or bullocks ; but, like all bankers, 

 he liked to see some cash. He once sold a lot to 

 Mr. William Stebbing for Messrs. B. Green and Co. ; 

 but I don't think much good was done with them. I 

 bought many of his yearlings sometimes at Diss 

 privately, and sometimes at Newmarket by public 



