- 447 



early form of the present breed, which has during the process of 

 its evolution gained a height approaching that of the modern Cly- 

 desdale. Its most conspicuous points of difference from the Shire 

 and Clydesdale are its chestnut colour and its freedom from the 

 abundance of long hair on the legs. The absence of long hair 

 makes the Suffolk Punch look too heavy for its limbs, but the bone 

 is of good, hard quality and stands the test of hard work. The 

 breed is also famous for fruitfulness and longevity one mare on 

 record having bred till she was 37 years old and for a docile 

 but courageous disposition and even-tempered willingness to work. 

 History of the Breed. The revised historical notice issued by 

 the Society in 1902 carries the improvement of this ancient breed, 

 of Norman and Old-English descent, back to 1764, when Andrew 

 Blake introduced Farmer (174) and advertised him as a Lincoln- 

 shire trotting stallion. 



The breed is also notable for the power of doing well on little 

 food, working long hours without a meal ; and of continuing to work 

 to a greater age than any other draft breed. The latter quality it 

 probably acquired or strengthened by a Thoroughbred connection 

 which it had in Barber's Procter (58), who was " the son of Winter's 

 Storm, a trotting horse of great substance, son of Gooch's Blood- 

 horse, brother to "Thunderbolt." 



The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries publishes the following 

 list of Horse-Breeding Societies in Great Britain, with indications 

 regarding Horse Shows, Sales and recent prices: 



