IN-BREEDING". 47 



Abdallah, but the lesson in regard to in-breeding was the same, as 

 the mare was closely in-bred to the Elliott mare, whatever she was. 

 This Elliott mare from Greene's Bashaw as the sire, produced a stal- 

 lion named Peacock. From Gage's Logan she produced the stallion 

 Tramp, and a filly, full sister. This sister of Tramp was bred to the 

 son of Bashaw and produced Miss Elliott. Hence she was by the 

 half brother of her own dam, and the Elliott mare was granddam on 

 both sides. Miss Elliott, this in-bred mare, was then bred for two 

 seasons to Tramp, the full brother of her own dam, and the record for 

 each year's foal was, "f^eae?." A proper record and fit commentary 

 upon the intelligence displayed in such breeding. 



Several close crosses of Hambletonian blood will be fashionable in a 

 pedigree for the present and near future — but I want not more than 

 two until I have a proper outcross, of course not a violent or abso- 

 lutely foreign outcross, but one that possesses some new elements 

 to relieve the drain upon the pure currents of the old blood. There 

 is no difficulty in this matter in our country as our families now stand. 

 We have so many kindred strains whose affinity is far enough away 

 to afford relief for each other that we have no need of close inter- 

 breeding nc«" of any resort to foreign or violent outcrosses. Our breed- 

 ing may remain entirely homogeneous, and wholly maintain its vigor, 

 even increased and improved, as we have done in the thoroughbred. But 

 l^is will only be attained by an adherence to sound principles and a 

 due observance of the laws of outcrossing and interbreeding. 



I am aware that of recent years many have advocated close in-breed- 

 ing, especially in the blood of Abdallah, and have pointed to Gold- 

 smith Maid, Messenger Duroc, and some others, as illustrations, but 

 the breeders have not stopped with the degree of in-breeding exhibited 

 in these animals. These were not close in the sense in which I here 

 speak of it. Hambletonian has received many Abdallah mares, and 

 Messenger Duroc and other sons of Hambletonian have received 

 daughters of Hambletonian, but no really great horse has descended 

 from any such incestuous breeding. 



Good results, both in performers and reproducers have attended 

 the crossing of the same lines of blood when something intermediate 

 in each case has intervened, but no really incestuous crosses have re- 

 sulted in the production of great or valuable animals. The blood of 

 Alexander's Abdallah has been thus crossed more perhaps than any 

 other, but in no case did it result in the equal of Thorn dale or 

 Almont or Goldsmith Maid. 



