BREEDINa, STOCK-RAISINa, ETC. 439 



race of horses in general is a matter of small consideration. 

 They are quite satisfied if they can find two or three colts 

 with fine parts to parade before the public as specimens of 

 the foal-getting qualities of their stock; and how industri- 

 ously are all such colts hunted up and decked off for exhi- 

 bition at the county fairs ! What does many a groveling 

 fellow, who has adopted the profession of a horse-keeper, 

 care for the general improvement of the race if he can, by 

 any means, no matter how unfairly, keep up the reputation 

 of his horse sufiiciently to secure a liberal patronage the 

 next season ! What cares he so long as he can scrape to- 

 gether a few more of the almighty dollars, notwithstanding 

 the community be imposed upon, and the next generation 

 of horse-flesh be ever so much cursed by these excesses ! 

 The system is wrong from first to last — a blight and mildew 

 upon one of the most important interests of agriculturists 

 and the public generally. 



But what shall be done to get rid of this nuisance — this 

 imposition? Customs so firmly rooted are not easily broken 

 up, and yet these pernicious practices may be done away with, 

 if the mass of farmers were firm in their determination upon 

 this point. Let neighborhood meetings be called, and reso- 

 lutions be passed, fixing a rule in regard to this matter, and 

 a committee appointed to see that it is carried out as faith- 

 fully as possible ; or the same action may be taken at the 

 meetings of farmers' clubs, where such exist. There ought 

 to be a State enactment to prevent the abuses referred to ; 

 but this is not to be hoped for. 



We have conversed wnth large numbers of the successful 

 stock-raisers of Kentucky and Middle Tennessee, and have 

 found a general coincidence in the views here expressed. 

 Many of them, indeed, have condemned the unnatural prac- ^ 

 tice of exacting from the horse such excessive services with 

 the utmost severity. Among this intelligent class it is not 

 uncommon for a gentleman to keep a horse of his own to 

 serve his own mares and, perhaps, a few others. Sometimes, 

 a few farmers club together, and raise a joint fund for the 



