TROTTERS. 577 



may be checked or quite prevented by separating related 

 individuals for a few generations, and exposing them to 

 different conditions of life. He even went so far as to 

 say that consanguinity in itself counts for nothing, but 

 produces its evil effects solely from the fact that related 

 animals generally have similar constitutions, and are 

 usually exposed to similar environments. This conclusion 

 is now held by many breeders, and the records of turf 

 and stud are full of facts which seem to bear it out. 

 Representatives of the Hambletonian family are widely 

 distributed all over the country, from Maine to California, 

 and from Minnesota to Texas. They are exposed to the 

 greatest variety of climatic conditions, and are being 

 constantly transplanted from one section to another. 

 Their blood is being freely commingled with little regard 

 to consanguinity, and with no evidence as yet that close 

 interbreeding is proving other than a benefit to the family." 

 This theory is well borne out by the good effect which 

 recently imported thorough-bred sires have had on the 

 thorough-bred stock of Australia ; and we all know that 

 Carbine, the New Zealand son of Musket, has been a great 

 success as a sire in England. Imported sires, such as 

 Panic, Musket, Fisherman, and St. Albans, have produced 

 more successful racing stock in Australia, than Colonial- 

 bred sires, of which the best has been Yattendon, whose 

 two most distinguished sons at the stud were Grand 

 Flaneur and Chester, both out of imported mares. The 

 American paper. The Spirit of the Times, says that " the 

 success of imported English sires within the past twenty 

 years, beginning with Leamington, has certainly impressed 

 many breeders with a belief in their superiority. Glenelg, 

 Australian, Bullet, King Ban, The Ill-used, Great Tom, 

 King Ernest, Bonnie Scotland, Rayon d'Or, Prince Charlie, 

 Phaeton, Eclipse, St. Blaise, etc., have well nigh driven 

 the native stallions into exile. Virgil may be said to 

 have been the only stallion who was native-bred on both 

 sides of his pedigree, and who has held his own against 



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