BREEDING. 5 



breeding," in the sense of producing a better class 

 of race horse than we have been familiar with, I am 

 afraid, like the majority of people, I am not a little 

 sceptical. 



We know, however, that breeders, taking them as 

 a body, are both zealous and enterprising, and not 

 easily balked when ditficulties must necessarily be 

 overcome. But if "scientific breeding" is to be taken 

 as the outcome of mating on the method of fusing 

 certain strains of blood, with no other object than to 

 peri)etuate a particular line on the "heir-male" prin- 

 ciple, I am bound to say that my knowledge and 

 breeding experience do not lead me to suppose it will 

 be attended with satisfactory results. To perpet- 

 uate the best running blood in a race horse, there 

 cannot be doubt, is both sound in principle and cor- 

 rect in judgment. But to seek to perpetuate the 

 best running blood by fusion, in the way that is 

 said, when both sire and dam possess this qualifica- 

 tion, I believe to be thoroughly inexpedient. 



It may be that those who advocate "scientific 

 breeding" on the lines I have said may have this in 

 view, and if so they have me so far on their side. 

 What I object to is that the subject of conformation, 

 the external qualities in a race horse, should play 

 the comparatively insignificant part it does in the 

 estimation of t)re^er§> We Jiuow, of course, that 



