112 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



the people a fat horse is always more attractive than a thin 

 one, and the same applies etjually well to the young stock. 



Our thoroughbreds which have come from the Arab stock 

 have within the last one hundred and fifty years been raised 

 from an average height of 14-2 hands to fully 15-3 and 16 

 hands. This has been brought about by careful, systematic 

 and generous feeding of the youngsters, and it is a fact that 

 many of the training stables to-day feed their two-year-olds 

 twelve to fifteen quarts a day. 



It cannot be said that the New England farmer is the only 

 one that has had the one point in view, namely, that of speed. 

 Throughout the whole United States this has been the only 

 point sought for in trotters for A^ears ; and this is naturally 

 so, because it is speed that brought the money and won the 

 money. 



Cicero J. Hamlin, years ago, was criticised on all sides 

 for purchasing " Mambrino King," the so-called "dude 

 horse," in Kentuck}^ on account of his good looks. All 

 those who had the pleasure of attending the Madison Square 

 Garden show of 1893-94 remember the handsome chestnut 

 stallion, as he was led down the side line of the ring, with 

 simply a nose band in the hands of his colored attendant. 

 The attention of the vast audience was perhaps equally 

 divided between " Mambrino King" and Prescott Lawrence's 

 celebrated hackney stallion " Fashion." 



C. J. Hamlin made up his mind at that time that there 

 would come a time when there would be a call for American 

 trotters that would be good looking and of good type, with 

 well-set-on necks, etc., as well as having the one attri- 

 bute, namely, speed. He worked for this continually, and 

 was successful, by the aid of his "Mambrino King" and 

 " Chimes " cross, in putting more winners into the 2.10 list 

 than any other stock farm in America ; but also, as is gen- 

 erally acknowledged ever}' where, the Village Farm has done 

 more to produce good-looking trotters with speed than any 

 other farm. But the Village Farm was the exception ; 

 nearly every one worked on the same idea, — speed, speed, 

 speed ; consequently one cannot wonder that the breeders 

 here and there scattered throughout New England were 



