THE BKITISH GROUP. 171 



British people have played more or less of a 

 lone hand in the evolving of their draft breeds 

 — as they have in the other branches of live 

 stock husbandry. So wherever they reached out 

 for materials in the early day, whether to Flan- 

 ders only or to other places as well, the English- 

 men and Scotchmen may fairly be said to have 

 made their breeds what they wanted them to be 

 without very much outside assistance one way or 

 another. If a proof of this is required further 

 it may be suggested that while almost all of 

 the other breeds claiming descent from the 

 black horse of Flanders are of black, gray or 

 mixed colors, without white marks, as a general 

 rule, these same colors are now and have for 

 long been at a discount both in frequency and 

 favor in John Bull's island. Still the fact re- 

 mains that many Flanders stallions were used 

 in Britain and not much more than a century 

 and a half ago at that. All colors are found in 

 both the Shire and the Clydesdale, but the bays, 

 browns and blacks predominate. The Suffolks 

 are a race of chestnuts only. 



Endless controversy has raged regarding the 

 origin of the white markings on the Clydes- 

 dale and Shire. That they are deeply ingrained 

 in these breeds must be conceded and that the 

 British breeders seem to favor them admits of 

 no doubt. This is decidedly unfortunate so far 

 as the American trade is concerned, and not 

 only the North American but the South Amer- 



