64 England's horses, 



It is admitted that we require some amendment in tlie 

 system that now supervenes amongst breeders of our gene- 

 ral horses. Nobody denies this, that is capable of forming 

 a practical opinion upon the subject ; and, therefore, Ave 

 may rely upon it that horse-loving England will never 

 allow a canker such as this to eat its way into the very core 

 of her physical strength. 



There is a danger that legislative enactment, perfectly 

 reasonable and imperative, regarding the general horse 

 stock of these kingdoms, would lose its popularity, and 

 become quite obnoxious, if it attempted anything like a 

 sweeping and coercive turf reform. And as the turf ca,n, 

 by selection, supply for years to come the sound and 

 beautiful general stock horses that the country will need, I 

 had almost made up my mind to avoid allusion to subjects, 

 the discussion of which is impatiently endured and petu- 

 lantly assailed, in quarters where personal partial feeling is 

 allowed to over-ride the consideration of public weal. 



That the English turf has risen to its present importance, 

 as a national institution, under the segis of a utilitarian 

 aim, having for its object the improvement of the general 

 horse stock, is an axiomatic assertion. Let us glance, 

 then, at how it has performed its mission, by what means 

 improvement was attained, and what are the existing 

 defects of the system, that are supposed to re-act in an 

 inverse ratio to that, from the operation of which we have 

 arrived at a very great state of improvement in our stock. 



All my individual sympathies are with the turf\ I am an 

 habitu4 of its various arenas for more than a quarter of a 

 century; and, if all this world could afford mortal, was placed 

 at my disposal, I must in truth say, if the opportunity of 

 paying my humble share of devotion to our great Isthmean 

 Idol was withheld, I should not be anything like content. 

 Therefore, it may be assumed that what I may write hostile 



