40 THE PERCHERON HORSE. 



establishing a family designed to exercise a permanent in- 

 fluence upon the future improvement of a region. . 



Uniting together vices of conformation, character, and 

 temperament, is rendering them indelible for ever. Uniting 

 quality, beauty, and aptitude, it is preserving the monopoly 

 of these in a single family. 



Hence, I would like, when there appeared, on the turf 

 or elsewhere, one of those envied types of which nature is 

 generally so sparing, that judicious attempts, made with 

 patience, should fix the qualities so apt to disappear, and 

 collect, so to speak, all the sources whence they emanate. 



The brothers, sisters, and collaterals, should be included, 

 but once only, in these crossings, which might even go 

 back, if it were still time, as far as the grandsires and 

 dams, on account of the resemblance noticed between 

 ancestors and their grandchildren. 



Finally, the truly valuable and completely successful re- 

 sults of a family thus strengthened should be coupled ac- 

 cording to the rules of intelligent crossing to the equally 

 confirmed representatives of some other excellent family, 

 fit to form new offspring. 



CHAPTER IV. 



OUGHT THE GRAY COLOR OF THE PERCHERON TO BE 

 INFLEXIBLY MAINTAINED ? 



Formerly I liked the gray horse very much, and have 

 more than once praised this color. But time has dissi- 

 pated my illusions. 



Thus, while acknowledging my former preferences for 

 the gray horse over the horse of a different shade, I am 

 now very far from showing myself exclusive, and quar- 



