THEORY OF BREEDING. 327 



produce would be a filly to breed to the thoroughbred that 

 would suit me, as I think when there is a difference, the 

 male parent ought to be the one without the flaw. But I 

 would be afraid of that coarse Bellfounder cross, trusting 

 however, that it would never make its appearance. I think 

 when the produce of that inbred Bellfounder mare and 

 Hambletonian is old enough to show for itself, these ideas 

 will be verified. It may be thought invidious to say any- 

 thing against the system pursued in Orange County, which 

 has resulted in producing so many good animals, but "ex- 

 celsior" must be the breeder's motto, and to get still higher, 

 depend upon it, racing blood will only do. You are un- 

 doubtedly enough bored, for the present, with my breed- 

 ing speculations. With the breeding-farm and the sub- 

 sequent conversations, I have pretty well exhibited my 

 partialities. Should any one differ with me in my con- 

 clusions, the study of trotting pedigrees some of them 

 mixed up consumedly will do them no injury. If racing 

 had been carried on without any more attention to horse 

 heraldry than trotting has, the breeding of race horses 

 would have been ten times the lottery it now is. May we 

 not hope that from a like attention being paid to the 

 trotting families, the chances of breeding fast ones will 

 be very much increased, and a genealogical tree, free from 

 stains, be considered as essential to the harness as the 

 racing stallion ? 



PRECEPTOR. I will neither assent nor dissent at present 

 from the inferences you have drawn. The trotter, of 

 course, has to be bred before he can be trained, and there 

 is not much danger that our talk on the subject will be a 

 waste o time. It is a subject of interest to those who 

 buy, as well as those who breed trotters. The day has 

 gone by when the remark was thought smart, "I do not 



care a for his pedigree; let me see him move," and 



those consequential gentlemen who could tell at a glance 



