114 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



I am informed that the famous trotting stallion " General 

 Knox," which created quite a sensation at the New England 

 Fair, held in Springfield the present month, was a cross of" 

 Messenger and Morgan, and I have no hesitancy in saying that 

 I think him to be the finest trotting stallion I ever saw. 



. The Black Hawks are not second to any breed of horse reared 

 in this country ; they make fine carriage and saddle horses, and 

 for style and action are not surpassed. They are fine-limbed 

 and active, good roadsters and fine drivers, but not well adapted 

 for the farm, or draught. The Black Hawks are a branch, or 

 originated from the family of the Morgan horses, and they 

 partake largely of the vigor and action of the Morgans. 



The Hamiltonians have been raised with much success in 

 Northern New Yo^-k, and have gained a good reputation, — I 

 might say, become celebrated. It is enough to recommend them, 

 that they are of the Messenger family, but they are not so much 

 sought for in Massachusetts as either of the above-named breeds 

 I have mentioned. 



The classes of horses to be considered, are, first, the stock 

 horse ; second, the brood mare. First, the stock horse — like 

 begets like, and a good stock horse is indispensable in propagat- 

 ing good stock, and without him our efforts to raise good horses 

 could not be crowned with miich success. Second, a brood 

 mare is very important, and good mares should be used in 

 breeding. It is too much the practice of farmers to put mares 

 to breeding after they become broken down and are unfit to be 

 used for general work. That is a great mistake, and should be 

 corrected ; to raise a good colt the sire and dam should be of 

 good symmetry, and the practice of using a sire much larger 

 than the dam, so far as I have noticed, has not been attended 

 with good results. They should be of nearly equal size, the sire 

 a little the largest. By taking pains in propagating with the 

 sire and dam, colts will be raised that will be of a profit to the 

 farmer and a pleasure to look upon as they are growing to 

 maturity. 



The family horse is almost one of the indispensables ; but very, 

 few would be willing to be deprived of the services of this 

 noble animal. A horse of this class should be trained to the 

 saddle as well as the carriage, as he is hardly a family horse 

 unless he can be used under the saddle. He should also be of 



