170 HAMBLETONIAIT. 



advantage to it ; that it was a positive detriment, and that, had a stallion beeu 

 produced by Abdallah and the grandam of Hambletonian (One Eye) direct, 

 we should have had a superior to Hambletonian. For my own part, while I 

 am a firm advocate of in-breeding, I believe that the outcross was the magic 

 key which imlocked the treasure secured by the multiplied strains from Mcs- 

 senger, and presented them ready for use, to the best advantage, in Hamble- 

 tonian. 



And the same writer, on another occasion, says: 



The first fault that seems to be found with Bellfounder is, that in crossing 

 upon the various Messenger branches (which were generally in-bred) he did 

 not wipe out their characteristics and establish his own type in the descend- 

 ing lines. I regard this as a virtue rather than a fault, for the Messenger type 

 was the superior of the two, and a positive element that clashed with its char- 

 acteristics would have injured the balance of forces. The great positive 

 elements of the Messenger lines are: trotting instinct, great nervous force 

 well balanced, and physical soundness. The positive elements of the Bell- 

 founders seem to have been : ample nervous force exceedingly well balanced, 

 physical soundness, and fixedness of form and color, with much less trotting 

 instinct, though not devoid of it, than the Messengers. The positive elements 

 which have made trotting families in the past, are : trotting instinct (a quality 

 of the temperament which finds expression in trotting action), and nervous 

 force, for the reason that speed at that gait is the first element in a trotter, and 

 the one that has heretofore been the most difficult to obtain. Hence, the Mes- 

 sengers overshadow the Bellfounders in proportion as they exceed them in 

 trotting instinct and nervous force. Training, selection and systematic breed- 

 ing have developed these qualities in many families, and made it less difficult 

 at this day to breed trotting speed than formerly ; and although this part of 

 the trotting economy must always rank highest, the future is more likely to 

 give greater scope for obtaining it, with sufficient certainty to warrant some 

 deviation in favor of crosses for the improvement of form, temper, quality, 

 size, and otlier requisites of a perfect horse. But because he did not establish 

 a family, I do not see that it follows, necessarily, that it was a " cold element," 

 and " positive only in its coarseness," or " the one poor cross we know in Ham- 

 bletonian." Had form, color, temper, soundness, and I will add quality, been 

 as eagerly sought as speed, who will say that Bellfounder would not have 

 established a family, or that he has not left his impress — a gracious one— upon 

 the families that are established ? 



It is apparent that the writer of the foregoing had not studied the 

 respective bloods of Bellfounder and Messenger in the light afforded 

 by our analysis of the antecedents of which each was composed; 

 although he expresses some evident truths, and what is suggestive of 

 even more. It is not true that Hambletonian was so highly bred in 

 consequence of his possession of so much of the blood, or even of the 

 choicest strains of the blood of Messenger; but it is true that he waa 



