THE COMBINATION. 217 



Bellfounder had no element of real consana-uinitv with either of 

 these Arab strains unless it was in the distant back ground and be- 

 hind a barrier of cold blooded and entirely unfamiliar and antagonis- 

 tic material. There was no difficulty in the two former affiliating- and 

 forming a union, on the breeder's familiar basis of consanguinity, but 

 the latter could only be reached after a process of naturalization, or 

 •dilution. The ]\Iessenger blood had perhaps some familiarity with 

 it in their probal^le descent from a common ancestor in part, through 

 the blood of Sampson. But the gulf was too wide, if the union 

 must be effected between the three bloods in their originally pure 

 state. 



The Bellfounder blood did not familiarize with any strictly thorough- 

 T^red family. The advance must be gradual, and it must be mutual. 



The Duroc- Messenger union must be in the form of a part-bred or 

 road stock toned dow^n to the trotting level, and the Bellfoxander strain 

 must have gone through a similar course in the channels furnished 

 by Abdallah and the Kent mare, and presented in Hambletonian. 



In Administrator the results of this series of gradual naturalizing 

 or affiliating processes find their complete success. He is to-day the 

 embodiment of the combined excellences of these three great strains, 

 Avith their opposing and unfriendly tendencies and inclinations com- 

 pletely eliminated. Every law of breeding science declares that by 

 all the greatness of Messenger, by all the excellences of Duroc, and 

 all the golden treasures of Bellfounder, Administrator shall be, and is, 

 a great and successful sire of roadsters and trotters. That the verdict 

 shall be according to the law so plainly written, is to-day regarded as 

 a matter of absolute popular belief, fast approaching a demonstrated 

 certainty. 



I have in this chapter and elsewhere sjDoken of the excellences of 

 the Duroc blood when united with that of Messenger for trotting 

 purposes. I rank it as the best and only strain of pure blood that has 

 shown any special adaptation to the purposes of the trotting families 

 in union with that of Messenger; but I would have it kept clearl}^ in 

 mind, that it is only in union with that great and all-prevailing trot- 

 ting element that it gives any such character. It had of itself no 

 trotting instinct or inclination whatever, and its serious and deep- 

 seated infirmities were such as to debar it from any combination in 

 which these traits could not be effectually or materially overcome. 

 The Messenger blood was noted for such inborn purity and genuine 

 healthfulness, that it, of all others, was best calculated to give health 



