150 HOESEPOETRAITUEE. 



quicken farmers to prepare themselves with all the re- 

 quirements necessary for the propagation. My idea would 

 be to confine the government purses to horses owned in 

 the States where the trial was to be, and, after a proper 

 lapse of time, to those bred there. The reason why I 

 would confine it to horses owned in individual States is, 

 that the object to be gained is the improvement of stock 

 over the whole country, and not in one particular section 

 where breeding has been established, without other aid 

 than the fondness of the inhabitants for turf sports, 

 coupled with a climate and soil favorably endowed by 

 nature for breeding the best horses with the least outlay 

 and care. With this assistance from government, there is 

 not a North-western State which would not soon be filled 

 with the blood from those localities where the race horse 

 is now prevalent. The demand would enhance the value, 

 and create a market that would remunerate the breeders 

 far better than if they were allowed to make a circuit with 

 their best animals, and sweep the board of every purse 

 offered. You will pardon me for again introducing Iowa; 

 I only do so from being more familiar with her people 

 and resources than those of any other State. I removed 

 there when a mere boy, soon after she had been admitted 

 into the sisterhood of States, before the clatter of a loco- 

 motive had been heard within hundreds of miles, when 

 her population was mainly confined to the river counties, 

 and the only market was down the Mississippi. We can 

 point with pride to the position she now occupies, and 

 may be pardoned if we provoke a smile at the magnitude 

 of our anticipations for her future. The few thousand 

 dollars Iowa would receive as her proportion of the race 

 fuixd would work wonders in the introduction of blood 

 stock. 



There are several gentlemen of my acquaintance who 

 would delight in owning and training race horses, if there 



