THE HORSE HISTORY. 529 



Table of Best Records. Professor Brewer, of Yale 

 College, has kindly furnished the following table, which shows 

 how time has been lowered : 



1806. Yankee, 2.59 1865. Dexter, 2.181 



1810. A horse from Boston, . . . 2.58 J 1866. Dexter, 2.18 



1824. Topgallant, 2.40 I 1867. Dexter, 2.17 J 



1824. The Treadwell Mare,. . . . 2.34 1871. Goldsmith Maid 2.17 



1830. Burster, 2.32 ' 1872. Same, 2.16.| 



1834. Edwin Forrest, 2.31 J 1874. Same, 2.14 



1843. Lady Suffolk, 2.28 1878. Rarus, 2.13} 



1844. Same, 2.26$ \ 1879. St. Julien, 2.12: 



1852. Tacony, 2.26 1880. Maud S., 2.10: 



1853. Same, 2.25J 



1856. Flora Temple, 2.24 J 



1859. Same, 2.19| 



1881. Maud S 2.10J 



1884. Jay-Eye-See, 2.10 



1884. Maud S., 2.09$ 



The Russian Trotter. The Orloff trotters of Russia have 

 gained such notoriety for speed, endurance, and style that they 

 deserve a brief notice here. The name is from that of Count 

 Alexis Orloff. Tschesmensky was an enthusiastic horseman 

 of Russia, who, as the Live Stock Journal says, as early as 1775 

 imported from Arabia a gray stallion named Smetanxa, said to 

 be of unusual size and strength. A Danish mare was bred to 

 this stallion, and the produce was Polkan 1st. This half-blood 

 was bred to a Dutch mare, begetting Bars 1st, generally known 

 as the progenitor of the Orloff race of trotters. The fame of 

 Bars 1st was perpetuated through his sons Lubeznay 1st, Lebed 

 1st, and Dobroy 1st. Count Orloff and his successor, V. T. 

 Shiskin, by selection from the get of these stallions and crossing; 

 with choice English and Dutch mares, founded a race of mixed 

 origin. Count Orloff was an intelligent enthusiast as a breeder. 

 He had ample means to gratify his taste and keep together his 

 entire horses, and dictate crosses to meet his approval. Death 

 cut short his work, and his stud was scattered. Several private 

 studs were established, and a considerable portion of it passed 

 into the hands of the czar. 



Although the question of what constitutes the best trotting 

 pedigree has not been decided, a stud book has been instituted 

 to keep the breed pure. For fifty-three years the crown has fos- 

 tered the breeding of OrlofT trotters, and has furnished more than 

 half the prize money of the race-course as a means of develop- 

 ing and testing the powers of these horses. Russian trials of 



