OJb' FARRIERY. 



;i3S 



He-s of the Gascon farmer. We do not say he 

 IS wealthy; for we believe it might puzzle 

 him to raise in money one hundred francs; 

 but he has a cellar of wine, a barn with some 

 wheat, a co\v, pigs, and a poultry- yard ; we 

 might say, a field ; but we believe not much 

 ready money, but he has money's worth suffi- 

 cient to keep him and liis household well; 

 hence the necessity of supplying him with a 

 superior kind of Horse for his mare, which 

 otherwise he would be compelled to go to his 

 next-door neighbour for. It is therefore a 

 wise and patriotic act for the French Govern- 

 ment to send studs of stallions into the differ- 

 ent departments of that country. 



Since the period to which we have alluded, 

 we should think the breed of Horses may 

 have in some degree improved in France, as a 

 tolerable sprinkling of English mares would 

 have been left in that country by the army 

 of occupation, and a peace of more than 

 twenty years' duration, has enabled, no doubt, 

 the French Government to avail itself of all 

 oppoiliiiiities to improve their breed of Horses. 

 It is therefore natural to suppose that in 

 another war her cavalry and artillery may be 

 better horsed than heretofore. Beyond the 

 wants of the army, and the few wealthy in- 

 habitants, we don't think there will be any 

 inducement to breed blood-horses. Hunting 

 is by no means a popular amusement in 

 France, The Revolution took away the 

 game-laws, and the rights of the Seigneurs ; 

 nor would the present race of French farmers 

 submit very quietly to witness their fields 

 traversed by dogs and a field of horsemen ; 

 therefore, we do not suppose that there is any 

 probabiliLy of any hunters being wanted be- 

 yond the royal chases. 



England is therefore so differently situated 



in consequence of the law of primogeniture, to 

 France, that what may suit one countiy, and 

 in its effects might be beneficial, to the other 

 might be considered a nuisance. A farmer, 

 in England^ surrounded by the squierarchy of 

 his neighbourhood, and partaking of the joys 

 and amusement of the chace, thinks nothing ot 

 the damage which a field of Horsemen and 

 dogs might do to his corn-field, believing he 

 may regain the damage done to his fields by 

 their encouraging the demand for Horses, of 

 which he is himself the breeder. However, 

 if he does complain, and there is reasonable- 

 ness in the demand, there is always wealth 

 enough ; and we believe liberality enough, to 

 indemnify him for any damage he might sus- 

 tain on account of the hunting establishment ; 

 consequently he becomes a partner and pie 

 server of the sport, in protecting the foxes, 

 so essential to the amu.sement of the chase, 

 and is looked upon as a favourite of his aristo- 

 cratical neighbourhood, which insures to him 

 respectability, as well as promoting his own 

 interests. 



In France, where comparatively speaking, 

 there is little disproportion of wealth, it would 

 be, we believe, impossible to create any hunt- 

 ing; establishments that would be of a nature 

 sufficiently large to be an encouragement for 

 superior bred Horses. As to breeding Horses 

 for the Turf, we believe there will be very few 

 studs of thorough-bred Horses kept ; though 

 racing certainly has commenced near the 

 capital with some success, yet it is prema- 

 ture to say the course will become sufficiently 

 popular to create any great demand for them. 

 Looking then at France, in this ^iew, we do 

 not think she will take the palm of breeding 

 the best Horses from us. Neither do ne 

 think it necessary for France; if she obtain a 



