THE TROTTING-nonSE OF AMETiiCA. 293 



about tlieir best. Half tbc calculations mafic in England, 

 so far as I can see, proceed upon tbe assumption that all the 

 liorses are always right. If they were, the turf-propheta 

 could select the winners more often than they do. Flora 

 was distanced in the second heat in 2.35s. 



Two days afterwards, she was herself again, and beat 

 Keindeer, two-mile heats, in harness, in 5m. ll^s., 5m. 17-^s., 

 over a very heavy track. One more race at mile heats, 

 three in five, they had on the 2d of December. It waa 

 a stoutly-contested one of five heats. Reindeer won the 

 first and second in 2.31^, 2.31| ; but Flora lasted the longest 

 in the heavy ground, and took the third, fourth, and fifth 

 in 2.30|, 2.32^, 2.36^. Her races that year with Eeindeer 

 were the only ones in which she was called upon to put 

 forth her speed. He made her show the people of Adrian 

 and St. Louis the worth of their money. 



The next year, 1859, was the most arduous, the most 

 eventful, and the most glorious, for her in all her history. 

 She was now fourteen years old ; and her labors and perform- 

 ances in that season show what an extraordinary good 

 little mare she was. She then exalted herself to a heiglit 

 of fame that many believe will hardlj'- ever be equalled ; 

 though my opinion is, and has been for some time, that 

 Dexter, if he meets with no accident, v/ill surpass, in 

 harness and to wagon, all that she ever accomplished. I 

 ventured to predict this some time ago, and it was published 

 in " The Spirit of the Times." I still adhere to it. The 

 opinion may be wrong, but it is mine. Time, as it goes 

 along from year to year, and time as it is taken in the 

 judges' stand when the winning horse comes to the score, 

 will show. The amazing goodness of this little mare four- 

 teen years old, was, however, established beyond all cavil in 

 1859. She met better horses in that year than she had 

 ever done before ; for, whatever may be thought about J^rin- 

 cess, she then first encountered George M. Patchen, the Jer- 



