THE BREEDS OF HORSES. 269 



there was an almost constant mingling of the 

 blood of the Shire or Cart horse of England 

 with that of the Clydesdale of Scotland, and 

 that at the present day the differences between 

 the two breeds are so very slight that many 

 intelligent breeders of both England and Scot- 

 land have urged, and continue to urge, that 

 they should be classed as a single breed, and 

 that but one stud book should be maintained 

 for them. It is a well-known fact that the 

 " English cross " can be clearly traced in the 

 pedigrees of some of the most successful up to 

 the time of the establishment of the Clydes- 

 dale Stud Book (1877) of the comparatively 

 recent prize-winners and sires of Scotland. In 

 1877 the Clydesdale Society of Great Britain 

 and Ireland was formed, and the compilation 

 of the Clydesdale Stud Book was at once begun. 

 The .work has been vigorously followed up un- 

 til fifteen volumes have been issued. Since the 

 publication of this stud book was begun (1877), 

 and also that of the Shire Horse Stud Book 

 (1880) the lines have been more closely drawn, 

 and crossing between the heavy horses of Eng- 

 land and Scotland has not been regarded with 

 favor. Hence the draft horses of the two coun- 

 tries are gradually assuming a more distinct 

 type, as I have endeavored to show in the typ- 

 ical illustrations given. 



Further interesting information concerning 



