84 England's hoesks, 



a decrease of 1G3 against the 2,473 of 1871. Mr. Edmund 

 Tattersall, a name which is a household word among all lovers, 

 of horses, also speaks as to the general scarcity, and brings 

 three good names to corroborate what he says : — 



" Judging from all the information that I have received from gentlemen 

 whose opinions I get, there is a great scarcity of a good class of horses bred. 

 I could mention different districts in which I have information from gentle- 

 men who live there — for example, Mr. Thomas Drake. Mr. Challoner Smitli, 

 and Mr. Villebois, whom I saw this morning. They all agree upon this point 

 —that where there were fifty good horses bred in their districts twenty years 

 since, you cannot find five of the same sort of horse bred now. Mr. Challoner 

 Smitla speaks of a district round Abingdon, where he has lived all his life."* 



One only stands out in opposition to this formidable array of 

 alarmists, with the statement that in his judgment 



" There are more horses in the countiy at this moment than ever there 

 were, and they never were so good, and their stature has increased. The 

 stature of thorough-bred stock has increased since the year 1700 an inch every 

 twenty-five years ; and whereas the average size of horses then was 13 hands 

 3, the average is now 15 hands 2 ; and in point of carrying power, they can 

 carry twice as much weight as they could a hundred years ago." 



Admiral Eous has, as of course all England knows, devoted a 

 considerable portion of his life — thirty years according to his 

 own statement — to the study of racing and racehorses and of 

 horses generally, but he cannot say that he thinks there are as 

 many horses bred in this country as formerly. " With the 

 price of beef and mutton it will not pay to breed horses," he 

 says, " but you can get as many as you want from the Con- 

 tinent." In the event of a war, however, the Admiral would 

 not rely upon foreign horses. "In the event of a war," he 

 says : — f 



" You woiild lay your hand upon 500,000 in this country, and you would 

 look at all of them and take what you please ; if the country is ever threat- 

 ened, there are '2,000,000 horses in the country, and it would be very hard if 

 you could not get 500,000 to serve you." 



On the 16th August, 1873, The Times continues : — 

 THE SUPPLY OF HOESES. 



We have seen in our former notice of the Report of this 

 Commission how j)revalent was the opinion of the witnesses 



* Does not this corroborate the Author's views? 

 t This is fallacious enthusiasm. 



