RESTRICTED EXPERIMENTS, 63 



tlie operation. On the 18th I checked her higher than usual, and 

 the result of that was a slight sprain of the hind ankle, not sufficient 

 to cause lameness, though there was heat and swelling of the joint. 

 I turned her out, after fomenting the part for a few days, not only 

 on account of the injured ankle, but the run would give her mouth 

 the opportunity to get entirely well, the heels would grow down, 

 and as I would be absent several weeks at the fairs, I did not want 

 her to have any work I did not witness. 



The other tiilly, Columbine, alluded to in former papers, I sent the 

 9 th of March to bi'eed to Governor Stanford's Electioneer, so that 

 Avola was the only trotter experimented with during the summer. 

 It may appear that with no greater speed than a mile in 2:43| this 

 was not much of a test, but there are plenty of young trotters which 

 never show as well, and if there is a decided improvement in this 

 rate, it is a fair inference that there would be a cori-esponding increase 

 in that which is faster. In all of my experiments with tips on trot- 

 ters, I have been restricted to three animals, of the same age, and of 

 something the same breeding. All of them have shown faster than 

 a 2:40 gait for a quarter of a mile, when wearing tips ; and one — San 

 Diego — when a four-year-old, made that distance in thirty-seven sec- 

 onds. With a number to choose from, to obtain three untried colts 

 which would make so good a' showing would be held very fair, and 

 without opportunities for selection I consider the performances are 

 far above the average. 



Columbine had very little work in comparison with Avola, and 

 the latter has only had a small portion when compared with other 

 colts. The greater part of my time being occupied with my regular 

 business, I could not give the attention to the education of the 

 horses which is such an absolute requirement for them to do well, 

 and hence there is another drawback to take into consideration. At 

 Atwood Place the trials of one Summer would have given me more 

 information than ten years of limited experiments, and to obtain the 

 results obtained from such a meagre list, strengthens the belief that 

 with fuller exemplifications the benefits will be still more apparent. 



Before closing this chapter it may be as well to refer again briefly 

 to Judge Fullerton. His action is considered as nearly perfect as 



