330 THE TROTTING-nORSE OF AMERICA. 



2m. 28s., 2m. 30s. On the 27th of October they wsre at 

 Geneva, and trotted on a lieavy course. Flora won the first 

 heat in 2m. 32s. In the second, she was defeated in 2m. 

 28s. In the third, she beat the stallion in 2m. 29s. But 

 in the fourth heat she w^as distanced. On the 31st, they 

 reached Corning; and there the mare won in three heats, 

 with 2m. 31s. the best, the track being very heavy. 



That was the last time that Flora and Patchen trotted 

 together, I believe. There w^as much talk the followmg 

 spring about matching them, and one or two meetings were 

 held at the office of " The Spirit of the Times," for the 

 purpose of coming to some definite agreement. But they 

 could not come to terms. Mr. Waltermire and Tallman 

 declared that McMann was afraid to trot the mare against 

 Patclien any more. But the truth is, that James was 

 quietly lajnng back to entice them into an oft'cr to trot for 

 a large amount of money, and finally offered to trot Flora 

 against him any race they couKl name in harness or to 

 wagon, for a large amount. But by this time Mr. Walter- 

 mire had made up his mind to let Batchen go to the stud. 

 I do Dot think that he could have balanced the books with 

 her if he had tried again ; for events afterwards showed that 

 she was quite as good as ever, if not better. But he had 

 stood a longer and stouter struggle with her than any otlior 

 trotter had done. He beat her more heats than any other 

 horse; and most of the heats in which she beat him were 

 very farst and close. He met her, too, at the golden prime 

 of her life, when &he had just reached the full maturity of 

 her extraordinary power. 



When every thing is considered, I am under the impres- 

 sion that Batchen was the best horse that Flora Temple 

 ever contended with, and tliat, therefore, their names must 

 go down linked together as those of the best mare and the 

 best stallion that have 3'et appeared. On tlie other hand, 

 James McMann has a leaning to the opinion that tlie very 

 best horse she ever met was the Chestnut fi un Kentucky, 



