1891.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 189 



something that may be made helpful in your lines of work. 

 The only criticism I have to make is that we ought to spend 

 two or three days upon the subject of this paper. He has 

 thrown out many hints, upon any single one of which 

 hours might be spent with profit. Special lines of work 

 for special men is a point that cannot be too strongly 

 emphasized, and it applies as truly to the breeding of 

 horses as to any other line of work. It is true with us and 

 it is true with our stock, that nature seeks at all times to 

 preserve an equilibrium, adapting the man, or the animal, 

 to the condition in which he is placed. This is something 

 which we have not appreciated in the past as we ought. 

 Take a stock horse in Kentucky and bring him to Maine, 

 and what is the result? Within four weeks his hair thickens, 

 and he begins to adapt himself to his environment. And 

 just so in the reverse condition. That is a fact which we 

 should bear in mind. I think it is time that we gave up 

 breeding for the all-purpose horse, or breeding on different 

 lines. Successes are not to be found there. The man Who 

 has a love for trotting stock should breed that stock ; the 

 man who has a love for a draft-horse should breed in that 

 line. We should all try to succeed in the line of work for 

 which we ourselves are best adapted, and if we do we can 

 feel well assured of success. 



Upon a farm in New Brunswick I have found Percheron 

 colts growing like flocks of sheep, a dozen or fifteen in a 

 paddock together, feeding upon the coarser fodders, with 

 oats and roots, and making substantial growth. You cannot 

 grow a trotting horse in that way ; vou cannot grow high- 

 strung, nervous colts in that way. Each one must have a 

 pen by himself. The dangers of accident are too great. 

 So you see there are two sides to this question of breeding. 

 There are men in Massachusetts to-day who could make 

 more money in breeding large draft stock and driving stock 

 than in breeding trotters, because they are not adapted to 

 that special work ; they do not appreciate all th-e lines that 

 enter in and control it. 



There is one other thought. I wished, while the speaker 

 was giving us his admirable lecture, that we might have had 

 a horse upon the platform. In my own work, when I am 



