RESTORATION OF THE SURFACE. 6i 



respectively for winter and summer work ; or in other words, 

 for wet and diy weather. As soon as the March winds set in, 

 exercise may be started on the summer ground ; but rather 

 than spoil it, in the event of a wet spring follov/ing, return to 

 that set apart for winter. In this matter it is the weather 

 rather than the season that must in all cases regulate the 

 choice of ground ; and if one have to be overworked, let that 

 one be the winter ground. 



For trial ground, the best should be selected and strictly 

 appropriated to the one use; although there are occasions, 

 when the ground is dry and little impression made by 

 galloping, when it may be used if needful for ordinary work. 

 When much galloping has rendered the surface of the ground 

 uneven, most trainers have it bush harrowed and then rolled 

 with a heavy roller to fill up the cavities and reduce the uneven 

 surfaces. I cannot say that it is a plan I am enamoured 

 of. Repeated rolling improves the appearance of the ground 

 by levelling it, but unfortunately makes it hard, which is the 

 one thing to be avoided ; whereas my method, removing 

 the turf by manual labour, levelling, and lightly treading in 

 the turf when replaced, is infinitely better. In old times the 

 boys in the stable used to do this, but now nothing would 

 induce them to attempt it : so a few labourers in the spring, 

 or as often as is necessary, may be engaged for the purpose ; 

 and as a rule they do their work in a satisfactory way. 



Newmarket as a training ground is not inferior to any 

 that I know of, and better than most. It has scope and 

 other advantages to recommend it. Its worst feature is hard- 

 ness in a dry summer ; but in both spring and autumn it has 

 no superior. And if, taking all things into consideration, there 

 are other places equal to it, by far the greater number are 

 inferior ; places on which scores and sometimes hundreds of 



