AGRICULTURE AND TflE HORSE. 375 



into Kentucky among the tliorough-breds of that State, 

 while Duroc had cast his lot among the "unknown" 

 mares of the North ? 



However this may be, sir, we have got the American 

 horse all along the northern line, from Eastport to 

 Detroit, ay, still farther west, — a fortunate combination 

 of various bloods, invigorated by the sharp air of our 

 northern hills, refreshed by our cold northern streams, 

 fed into hard bone and vigorous muscle by our short 

 and sweet northern pastures, and capable of carrying 

 his sturdy forces, and implanting them, for a generation 

 or two at least, among the heavier bones and softer 

 muscles of more luxuriant valleys, milder skies, and 

 warmer springs. That he gets somewhat of his power 

 from his native soil and climate, there can be no doubt. 

 But how has he converted that stilted gait of the thor- 

 ough-bred into the swinging stride and powerful knee- 

 action of the trotter? What has changed the narrow 

 and confined shoulder of the thorough-bred — with its 

 short humerus attached, and the necessarily advanced 

 position of the fore-leg so near the point of the shoulder 

 that a line falling thence touches the toe — to loose 

 shoulder-blade and long humerus, — long from the elbow 

 to the point of the shoulder, so that a line falling from 

 this point touches the ground far in front of the foot, 

 — and to that massive and muscular base which wins 

 for the good trotter that common exclamation, "What a 

 rousing shoulder ! " ? What has cut down those sharp, 

 thin withers of the thorough-bred, and filled in the 



