44 RURAL ECONOMY OF ENGLAND. 



horses has been understated in the preceding estimate, 

 and that of the English increased. Such an assertion I 

 consider without foundation. Doubtless all the English 

 horses are not race-horses ; it' they were, they would be 

 worth more than 300 francs. The value of the English 

 race-horse is quite fanciful, but it is taken upon a small 

 number ; and so far it is in many respects justified by 

 the high value which the English set upon everything 

 capable of improving their breeds. It is entirely owing 

 to the enormous sums paid for first-rate stallions that the 

 breeders of Great Britain have been enabled to improve 

 their common horses in the way they have done. Each 

 species of domestic animal has its special use that of 

 the horse is for purposes where strength combined with 

 speed are required. The English seek to develop these 

 two properties in their horses, although the first expense 

 is considerable ; and, in the long run, it is found that 

 power and speed together do not cost them more than 

 it does us, because they concentrate as much as possible 

 their means of production and their care upon choice 

 individuals, in place of lavishing these on animals of no 

 value. 



Besides their celebrated saddle-horses, they have breeds 

 for draught, which are equally valuable. Such, for ex- 

 ample, are the plough horses, the best of which perhaps 

 come from Suffolk. We have already observed that tillage 

 with horses has been generally substituted by the English 

 for that of oxen : they thought, and with reason, that the 

 quicker action of the horse made its work more productive. 

 But they have done more ; they have even substituted 

 horses for men wherever manual labour the most ex- 

 pensive of all could be replaced by a machine set in 

 motion by horse-power. The amount of agricultural 

 work executed in England by horses is therefore very 



