390 THE TROTTING-HORSE OF AMERICA. 



and pronounced him the best trotting-horse in the world, or 

 that had ever been in the world, to Mr. Foster, at a time 

 when the majority of people would have said that I was 

 crazy, if they had heard me. There has been a constant 

 improvement going on in the trotting-horse. The trotters 

 are much better bred than they used to be, and that has 

 had much effect. The courses, sulkies, and wagons have 

 also been improved. Our best horses have generally been 

 close together in rate. There was but a shade of difference 

 between Flora Temple and George M. Patchen, and her and 

 John Morgan, except in this, that, though they were close 

 up to her head in one or two races, they were unable to 

 follow her along, and campaign with her. But considering 

 what Dexter has done, keeping in mind the fact that he 

 seems to be steadily improving in his rate in harness, and 

 not forgetting that he could certainly trot under saddle in 

 2m. 15s. a year ago last fall, I am sometimes led to the 

 belief that he may some day, not only beat Flora's best time 

 in harness, but open a gap that will look very wide to those 

 who come next. 



