THE TURF 163 



Prussia, including Hanover, the spirit for 

 racing is becoming general, and a peep into 

 Messrs. Tattersalls' books would show that 

 no expense is spared in procuring the best 

 English blood. And all this is the fruit of 

 one German nobleman, Baron Biel, of Zieron, 

 near Wiswar, who supplied this part of the 

 continent with the materials for the turf in 

 the following manner : The baron, having 

 made a large and valuable selection of 

 English thorough-bred horses and mares, 

 had an annual sale of the produce after 

 the following fashion : about a month pre- 

 vious to foaling-time, tickets were made out 

 of the anticipated produce of each mare (the 

 mares themselves being of course reserved), 

 and put into a bag. The baron then drew 

 out six lots for himself, thereby standing the 

 same chance as the public as to future 

 proceedings on the racecourse; and then 

 those lots which remained were sold without 

 reserve, to be delivered when weaned. The 

 prices averaged about sixty guineas per lot, 

 which, considering the possibility of the 

 chickens not being hatched at all, or of 

 being very short-lived, may be considered 

 as good. 



