BREEDING FARMS IN THE BERKSHIRES 



lots so that too many valuable mares will not be 

 turned together." 



The practical horseman crops out in every line of 

 this letter. The sneers leveled at Alma Mater, be- 

 cause her second dam was thoroughbred, did not 

 cloud her career. In November, 1884, Mr. P. S. 

 Talbert wrote to me from Inwood Breeding and 

 Training Stock Farm, Lexington, Ky. : 



" Alcantara could undoubtedly trot in 2.17 as a 

 four-year-old, and probably would have taken a rec- 

 ord as fast as that had it not been for his accident. 

 Only a few days before hurting himself he trotted 

 a half mile in 1.06, last quarter in 32 seconds, and 

 everyone knows he was a stayer. Alcyone trotted 

 this year, after a season in the stud, and with only 

 six weeks' preparation, a mile in 2.22^. Notwith- 

 standing her running foolishness I guess Wallace and 

 the rest of the opponents of thoroughbred blood in 

 the trotter would like to have a few like Alma Mater. 

 My father was one of the first to advocate the thor- 

 oughbred as a foundation. The first two animals he 

 bred were Avondale, sold as a yearling for $3000, and 

 Mary Mambrino, dam of Elvira, 2.18^. The per- 

 formances of Maud S., Jay-eye-see, Elvira, Silver- 

 one, and others show that he was right." 



Mary Mambrino was by Mambrino Patchen, out 

 of Belle Wagner, thoroughbred daughter of Embry's 

 Wagner, by the four-mile race horse Wagner. 



I have another letter before me, written by P. S. 

 Talbert, December n, 1885, from which I quote: 



285 



