PUBLIC OPINION NOT TO BE DESPISED. 175 



nearly alike. On one point they all agree ; namely, 

 that of his class all horses should be of a good sort, 

 and have good action. These two qualifications should 

 never be overlooked or disregarded, whether we want 

 a horse to carry a jockey or draw a plough. Breed, 

 or try to breed, everything the best of the sort : middling 

 stock of any kind cannot pay — at least cannot pay 

 ■vvell — and it is worse than waste of time and trouble 

 to breed such. 



If a man breeds for his own use, and has any par- 

 ticular or singular opinions about animals, he has of 

 course a right to breed in accordance with those 

 opinions, be they right or wrong : but if a man breeds 

 for the public, even allowing his ideas to be more 

 correct than those of the public as to what is the 

 choicest animal, it would in this case be highly in- 

 judicious in him to breed to please his o^vn fancy ; for 

 if he breeds to sell, the commonest sense must tell 

 him to breed what icill sell ; and he may depend upon 

 it, let him think as he will, it is the best that will do so. 

 A man may be a better judge of any given thing than 

 five thousand other men, but the public is a better 

 judge than probably any one man living. If a breeder 

 is modest enough to think that he knows more than the 

 public, and can consequently lead that public, he is the 

 very man to breed as he likes and what he likes ; and (to 

 try his strength) I would recommend him to get a 

 cross between a whale and a cameleopard, and enter 

 him in a Produce stake. If he gets high up in the 

 betting, I will allow my present deference to public 

 opinion to be wrong ; but till this event comes off, 

 I most strenuously recommend every breeder to 

 consult public taste and opinion : I think of the two 

 he will find it the safest speculation. 



I beg the reader will not for a moment suppose me 



