ON PURCHASE AND SALE. l6g 



by the country breeders. But there would be a 

 little trouble in the bufinefs, and what is of ftill 

 greater confequence it would be a breach of ^ 

 facred cuftom. Many a mare have I feen, 

 a6lua]Iy worth fifty pounds for the flud, and if 

 compared with fuch as are commonly ufed for 

 that purpofe, perhaps feveral fifties, knocked 

 down at five guineas to run in a fifli cart. There 

 is a notion current amongll fome perfons in the 

 country, that fuch w^orked mares will not breed, 

 or that they are, in fome refpefts, improper for 

 that purpofe. It is futile. Thofe mares pur- 

 chafed at Michaelmas, and wintered in a good 

 warm flraw-yard, with the allowance of a few 

 carrots, will take the horfe in due feafon, with 

 as promifing hopes as any whatever; and after 

 breeding a foal, may be probably recovered in 

 the ufe of their limbs, to the degree of being 

 able to do great fervice. An excellent author 

 remarks, that the greateft profit is to be obtained 

 from the mare, by alternation of labour and 

 breeding. Good ferviceable plough-horfes are 

 often to be purchafed at thefe places, much 

 cheaper than in the country. 



The Spring is necefiarily the dearefi; time for 

 horfes, from the cufi;om fo generally prevalent 

 of riding in the fummer feafon only : the fame 

 caufe operates, on the other hand, in the reduc- 

 tion of their price on the approach of winter. 

 Towards Gunpowder Treafon, the town repofi- 



tories 



