THE FARMER 175 



it affords for selling their horses to advantage. These 

 arguments are plausible enough, but, like many 

 plausible ones, are destitute, or nearly destitute of 

 truth. There is no doubt that the standing of large 

 studs, such as we saw congregated at Melton, Leicester, 

 Leamington, Cheltenham, Coldstream, and other 

 places, must cause a considerable consumption of 

 the enumerated articles, but the extra profit goes 

 into the pocket of the middleman, and not into that of 

 the Farmer : corn-chandlers, inn-keepers, liverymen, 

 saddlers, are all benefited, and many of them very 

 largely ; but what the bona fide Farmer gets is seldom 

 more than the mere market price, with the accommo- 

 dation, perhaps, of a near, instead of a distant delivery 

 for his produce. 



As to selling horses to advantage, that is a point 

 involving so many contingencies, that we fear even the 

 most sanguine dare hardly look the matter fairly in 

 the face. Good stock, good luck, good keeping, good 

 handling, and though last, not least, good riding. 

 The only way we think that breeding can pay is where 

 the breeder hunts himself, and can show his horse 

 off to advantage. Even then a great deal depends 

 upon whim and caprice. One man can sell anything, 

 and get almost any price, while people will hardly 

 look at the horse of another. The riding is, perhaps, 

 the most important point, and there are not many 

 men with both the nags and the nerves equal to the 

 task. 



Taking the average of countries, we believe it will 

 be found that a Farmer is generally the best man in 

 the majority of hunts either a Farmer or a parson, 

 though rigid discipline has thinned the ranks of the 

 latter. A Farmer, however, is generally the best man, 

 and, in stating this, it must be remembered that they 

 generally give a good deal away by riding unmade and 

 oftentimes moderately-conditioned horses. 



" Upon the w-h-o-o-l-e," as Farmer Wopstraw says 



