i66 The Book of the Hokse. 



drawn by six horses, that is, four-in-hand and a pair conducted by a postillion, but by a 

 pair of Messrs. Pickford's finest black wagon-horses, led by their accustomed attendants, clad 

 in gorgeous liveries for that day only. They appeared to walk away with the ponderous 

 coach, as weighty as the Lord Mayor's, at the rate of at least five miles an hour. 



On light sandy land plough-teams of a light description may be used with advantage, 

 of the same class as those magnificent animals that may be seen in single harness, in pairs, 

 and unicorns, drawing the spring vans of warehousemen in the City of London. These were 

 formerly bred between Cleveland stallions and cart mares; how they are bred now no one 

 cares to inquire. On the light sandy lands of Bedfordshire and Norfolk, a pair of cast-off 

 carriage-horses, or even hunters, would make a plough-team, but wherever the land is stiff 

 there must be size and weight. 



In spite of the rapid spread of steam cultivation, there is still a mass of work on every 

 well-cultivated farm that can only be done by horses and by ploughs. " For this purpose," 

 writes one of the most practical and advanced farmers of the day, " let me have plough 

 pairs at least i6 hands high, as well-shaped as any carriage, girthing from 7 feet to 7 feet 

 6 inches, as active in walking as a good park hack, with stout limbs and plenty of hair 

 about their feet, a weighty fore- hand to throw into the collar, a sensible but not too small a 

 head, a courageous but docile temperament Well fed and well tended, they will do twice 

 the work of soft cross-made brutes." 



THE BISHOP STORTFORD STALLION COMrANY. 



Getting the use of cart stallions, big, sound, and with good action, has as yet been very 

 difficult, because more than half the cart stallions that travel the country are either unsound 

 or ill-shaped, and it has been no one's business to find fault with them. The Stud Books 

 that have been recently established tor registering the pedigrees of the Clydesdales, the English 

 Cart-horse (that is really the Sliire Horse), and the Suffolks, will no doubt do something to 

 check the trade of inferior brutes by establishing a standard of comparison. 



An experiment made two years ago at Bishop Stortford, a town in Hertfordshire 40 miles 

 from London, has shown how easily, with little expense, a small committee of farmers may 

 secure the benefit of first-class cart stallions. In January, 1877, a few gentlemen formed 

 " The Bishop Stortford Agricultural Horse Company," with a capital of ;£"2,ooo, on an entirely 

 new plan. 



The nominal capital was divided into lOO preference shares, of £\Q each, and 20 promoter's 

 shares, of ;^50 each. Of these, 60 preference and 20 promoter's were at once taken up. The 

 preference shareholders were entitled to the first call on the entire horses, the property of the 

 Company, and each preference shareholder was bound to send two mares, at a fee of ;^3 3s. 

 (5s. for the groom), for each share he held, or to forfeit £">) 3s. for each mare not sent. No 

 payment of profits, interest, or return of capital, was to be made to any member until the 

 final closing of the accounts, in the year 1879. In that year the Company is to be wound up, 

 and, after the repayment of £\o per share to the preference shareholders, the balance remaining 

 of the capital is to be divided pro rata amongst the holders of promoter's shares. Should any 

 balance remain, it is to be divided pro rata amongst both classes of shareholders. The capital 

 raised was 12 promoter's shares at £S'^> £(>oo \ 60 preference at ^10, £CiOO; sum total i^i,200. 

 Two stallions were purchased for less than ^^ 1,000; the surplus, which was over .^200, was 

 placed at interest, and the two years' earnings of the horses are being added to it. " The 

 result,' writes Mr, Walter Gilbey, the originator and most active promoter (on the 24th Nov., 



