104 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



than others, and it may be safely affirmed that the colt of a sound 

 marc, other things being equal, is worth much more for service, 

 if not for sale, than one from a mare which has become stiff 

 or lame from disease, either of the feet or the muscles. 



Third. Never breed from animals merely because they are 

 fast, but select for breeding roadsters, such as are of good pedi- 

 gree, and possess as many of the points of the model animal as 

 possible, especially those which indicate a firm constitution, and 

 never breed from one which has not a beautiful, smooth, square 

 trot. The mare will be fast enough, if she can trot handsomely 

 a mile in five minutes, and is greatly to be preferred to one 

 which can go with " hitching " and " singling " a mile in three 

 minutes, or less. She should be of as perfect form as possible, 

 though if the body be rather longer and more capacious than is 

 desirable for a model roadster, it will not be objectionable. It 

 is very important that she be a good milker. 



To breed with such a mare, select a stallion with small head, 

 stout, well-formed legs and feet, short, broad back, oblique 

 shoulders, and able to trot in model style at least a mile in 

 three minutes. He should never be long-legged, nor much 

 heavier than the mare. If it be desirable to increase the size 

 of the progeny, it may be much better accomplished by taking 

 superior care of the mare while with foal, and while suckling, 

 and by keeping the young animal in comfortable quarters, and 

 supplying it with an abundance of the most suitable food. 



Fourth. If a valuable breeding mare has some obvious defect 

 of form, she should be covered l)y a horse as perfect as possible 

 in this particular, but not by one with any opposite defect. 

 Never employ for breeding, an animal defective in any respect, 

 when a perfect one is accessible. 



Fifth. Crosses between very dissimilar animals can never be 

 relied on to produce valuable colts, as they are liable to be cross- 

 made or luisymmetrical in form. 



Sixth. It is unprofitable to breed from weak or unsound 

 animals, or from such as are not tolerably well-made, and pos- 

 sessed of first-rate ability to perform the ordinary service of a 

 horse of the kind. But, if the dam and sire are judiciously 

 chosen, and the colt properly reared, he will, in ninety-nine 

 cases out of a hundred, be worth, at four years of age, all be 

 has cost, and pay a fair, and sometimes a large profit. 



