FOR PEACE AND WAR. 89 



Ireland would appear to offer particular difficulties to these 

 reformers, for we learn from Lord Doneraile that the " farmers 

 are excessively prejudiced, and it is almost impossible to make 

 them send to a good horse if there happens to be a popular 

 man with a bad horse in the neighbourhood."* As a ma^tter of 

 fact, it must be confessed that the most emphatic advocates of 

 this system of Government-certificated sires foresee great diffi- 

 culties in the way from that prejudice which has from time 

 immemorial been the peculiar characteristic — we were almost 

 saying the boast — of the British farmer. Still, they none the 

 less resolutely recommend its adoption. Mr. Phillips is very 

 distinct on the subject : — 



" The only plan that I see which is feasible is for some Government aiithor- 

 ity to be at the head to supplement the prizes of the Agricultural Society for 

 the different classes of stallions, and give such a premium as would induce 

 the owners of the horses to compete, and let them cover the coiintry at two 

 guineas a-piece as the usual price, and those horses must travel the district. 

 It is of no use to have stationary stallions ; people will not send to them. I 

 would humbly suggest, that as Agricultural Societies are in existence, they 

 might supplement it by a Government Commission to carry out the details, 

 and there should be drawn up something like the system which Mr. East told 

 the Committee was done at Glasgow. It might be easily devised that people 

 should agree to conditions to compete for thoroughbreds, coach-horses, road- 

 sters, and cart-horses, the same as the societies are doing now ; and where 

 they give £20 for a certain breed of horses, you will give £100 if you like. 

 You would be sure then to get some good horses competing for the prize. 

 The horse should be bound to serve that district which he competes for that 

 season, at a sum not exceeding two guineas, travelling 100 miles a week in 

 going round the same, as those men do who travel their own stallions. I 

 would not allow them to charge more than two guineas. "f 



Lord Spencer, too, holds the same views, speaking, as was 

 natural, only for the Irish side, where he admits there are com- 

 plaints of the scarcity of " large, sound, weight -carrying horses." 

 There would certainly seem to be reason in the complaint, if, as 

 his Lordship tells us, a gentleman, willing to give any price for 

 what he wanted, travelled all over the country last spring, and 

 could only find two or three horses he cared to take. I To devote 

 the money now yearly given for Queen's Plates, amounting to 



* A perfect truism, and a material consideration in support of Government 

 supervision, at least in Ireland ! 



f Mr. Phillips' views are good, no doubt, so far as they go, but his sugges- 

 tion leaves the sire question still in the hands of individuals, not insuring a 

 uniform standard of excellence, but only offering a reward for the best in what 

 may prove (as it generally does at shows) a " rubbishing lot " of competitors. 



I Corroborates the author's views as to degeneracy and scarcity. 



