French Studs. 



123 



should refuse to breed to the donkey sire, make a bad business, and are in a fair way of being 

 ruined." The Poiteviue mulassicre was originally bred on the marshes of La Vendee (just the 

 sort of land as that on which the nearly extinct black Lincolnshire dray-horse cultivated by 

 Bakewell was bred), a vast tract of land, formerly constantly soaked, at present thoroughly 

 drained, and only covered with water at the time of inundations after heavy winter rains. But this 

 idea that good mules can only be bred from the coarse Poitou mares is a provincial delusion. Any 

 good English, French, or American cart-mare will breed a strong mule by a strong ass sire, as 

 has been proved in the United States. 



The fillies being reserved for mule-breeding, the colts are sold at two years old to dealers ; 



'S^E le\ 



A MULE OF THE MIDI. 



SO the horses of Berry, La Beauce, and La Perche are employed in agricultural work until they 

 are five or six years old, and are then sold either for omnibus work or for heavy draught. 

 Some very fine horses are purchased among the Poitevins by the Berry Remount Depot, for 

 the artillery. 



FRENCH GOVERNMENT STUDS. 



The system adopted by the successive Governments of France for increasing and improving 

 the breeds of horses is based on principles followed by all the Continental Governments of 

 Europe at more or less cost to the State. 



Our island position relieves us from the necessity of placing cavalry on a war 

 footing at short notice — a necessity which is and has long been a matter of paramount 

 importance with France, Germany, and Austria. The inhabitants of democratic France and 



