THE SCARCITY OF GOOD HOKSES. 159 



I think by the employment of competent agents by 

 government, to purchase the best class of English and 

 Arab stallions, regardless of expense, and travelling 

 them through the agricultural and breeding districts in 

 the season, charging nothing for the first year, and ap* 

 pointing competent and disinterested district inspectors, 

 to take care that no mares were served except such as 

 are constitutionally sound and in every way calculated 

 to produce a proper description of stock for cavalry as 

 well as general purposes ; when farmers and breeders 

 were convinced of the superiority in the produce, they 

 would not object to pay a progressive increase on the 

 small charge which might be made the second year for 

 serving ; and thus in time some return for the outlay 

 would be made to government, independent of the boon 

 conferred upon the whole community. But in the event 

 of this plan being adopted, the export of horses should 

 be prohibited for a considerable time, or foreign dealers 

 would come (as they now do) in increased numbers, and 

 over-run our fairs and breeding districts, selecting many 

 of our best animals, and still create a scarcity and keep 

 up the prices. 



I know the practice of exporting horses to Germany 

 and elsewhere is regularly but generally carried on by 

 foreign merchants, resident in Manchester and the manu- 

 facturing districts, employing agents to scour the 

 breeding districts before the great fairs are held, where 

 so few really good horses are now to be seen. It ap- 

 pears to me queer policy for our government to allow 



