FRANCE. 



257 



of these studs is to furnish good sires of every race to horse 

 breeders, especially small farmers throughout France, for the 

 purpose of improving the blood of French horses. The serv- 

 ices of the stallions are paid for, by the owners of the mares 

 served, at rates fixed according to the value and reputation 

 of the stallion. 



Especial attention is of course paid to selecting stallions 

 suitable for military purposes, because the government wishes 

 to increase the production of such animals and to encourage 

 breeders to raise them. A ready market and good prices 

 exist for military horses. But the army has nothing to do 

 with these establishments and is not supplied by them. 



Army Studs and Breed Farms. — These exist only in 

 Tunis and Algeria, and the former are maintained at and in 

 connection with the remount depots in those countries. 

 There are four depots, three branches, two annexes, and two 

 breed farms, located as follows : 



The breed farm is maintained for the purpose of rearing 

 stallions for the government studs. The expenses of all these 

 establishments come from the appropriations for the army, 

 the number of stallions to be maintained being fixed in the 

 appropriation bill each year; for 1902 it is 600. One-eleventh 

 of these animals is replaced each year, the average j)rice this 

 year being $292.50 per stallion, or the total for the 55 stallions 

 required in 1902, $16,087.50. 



The official reason for the existence of these studs in Algeria 

 and Tunis is "to increase the number and improve the race 

 of horses in those countries." 



As each stud is attached to one of the remount depots, the 

 same personnel of officers and men suffices for both services. 



Personnel. — This consists of a colonel or lieutenant colo- 

 nel, director of the remount and stud establishments, who has 

 the same functions as an officer commanding a remount circum 

 scription in France. He directs and controls the operations ot 

 the various establishments in all that concerns the purchase 



