BREEDS OF HORSES FOR THE FARM. 601 



draught, the road, and the saddle. This improvement has been mainly 

 brought about by the importation of some of the best and stoutest of th? 

 il'tsh blood. In breeding from these for purposes of utility, particular 

 reference has been paid to strength, endurance and speed. The world has 

 not seen their equal. No horses surpass our best four mile pacers ; none 

 d our trotters. Tt would be a superfluous task to attempt enumer- 

 ating all the imported horses that have contributed to this improvement. 

 Each good animal has done something. 



Besides our unsurpassed blood horses we have others derived from va- 

 rious sources, and especially from the different English breeds, all of which 

 are variously compounded, with the first and with each other. On our 

 north-eastern frontier the Canadian prevails, a bastard but not degener- 

 race, made up of the French, Norman, and the English or Ameri- 

 can. At the extreme south and west, we have the horse of Spanish 

 origin, obtained in his domestic state in Florida and Louisiana ; and from 

 another branch of the Spanish are descended the wild horses of Mexico 

 id the more northern prairies. These are diversified in character, and 

 merally possess mod in in size and merit. The Conestoga, a heavy road- 

 and draught horse of fine symmetry and great power, is principally 

 jared in Pennsylvania, and is used for the team and truck. He is an 

 nalgamation of several breeds but probably owes a share of his charac- 

 to tin- Flemish horse, for which there was a decided partiality among 

 numerous German emigrants of that State. Several varieties of 

 are to be found in different sections but principally among the 

 ich, the half-breed, and the Indians upon the frontiers, who have 

 a stunted race from the Canadian or wild horse and such others as 

 >uld survive the hard usage and scanty winter food afforded by nature 

 il their rude husbandry. Many of these have considerable beauty and 

 r mmetry, and are fleet, hardy, and spirited. 



The Kan oik Punch is distinguished by the colour, which i^ chestnut, 

 hen inrrging into a dark sorrel, the mane and tail beinir frequently of a 

 it or silvery shade. They M-ld>m exceed sixteen hands in height. The 

 has bri-n vastly improved within the la>t twenty yean, They 

 1 1 pact and well shaped, le^s tolerably free from hair, but rather in- 

 <und in the bone. They are active and well adapted for 

 hinj- and other farm work. Many find their way to London, where 

 are u>ed in hivw.W drays and other heavy work. They are ^,-n.-r 

 reputed as trustworthy at a steady pull, at which they will 



tin and again They are reputed to be of Norman- 



origin, and are said to have b,.-n at tii-t introdinvd into the East- 



