192 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



beauty and general excellence rather than for ?j)eed. The 

 native horses of this region are very large and sliowy, being 

 sometimes even eighteen hands high and very spirited. To 

 improve upon these, the Duke keeps a stud of fifteen of the 

 most carefully selected English Thoroughbred stallions, and 

 thirty mares of the same blood for crossing with the native 

 horses. He allows his stallions to cover without charge six 

 hundred of the best mares belonging to the peasantry of the 

 island. "He keeps a register of them, and in the majority of 

 cases examines the marcs bimsclf, and chooses tlie horse which 

 will best suit her form, her licauties, her defects, or the purpose 

 for which the progeny is intended." Another very important 

 rule observed both by tlie Duke and his tenants, is never to 

 sell from the island, at any price, a first-class breeding mare. 



If the farmers of New England would adopt a similar princi- 

 ple of action, it would not only be much to their advantage 

 pecuniarily, but would wonderfully favor the perfecting of the 

 breed of horses and prevent any danger of deterioration. 



The most magnificent establisliment in the world for breeding 

 horses belongs to the Austrian government, its special ol)ject 

 being to furnish the choicest stallions at a moderate price to 

 breeders. It occupies a fertile plain of forty thousand acres, at 

 Mesoliagyes, and the whole farm is surrounded by a deep ditch 

 and a belt of forest trees sixty feet wide. Here are kept for 

 breeding purposes fifty stallions and one thousand mares of the 

 finest quality, besides two hundred mares and six hundred 

 oxen employed in cultivating the land. When four years of 

 age the best colts arc selected for home use, while all the 

 remaining stallions of superior quality are sent to different parts 

 of the country for the improvement of the breed, being sold at 

 a regulation price of $500 each. The poorer colts and mares not 

 wanted on the farm are sold at auction or employed in the 

 army. The annual expenses of this immense stud, amount to 

 $60,000, and are entirely defrayed by the sale of stock. 



Since in this country we cannot hope for government aid, 

 and since there are as yet but few wealthy men interested in 

 horse-breeding, while stallions of the best quality are very 

 costly, there seems to be only one way in which they can be 

 procured. 



