58 NOTES ON BREEDING RACEHOESES. 



The proportion, accordingly, appears most favorable in the 

 fourth, and, next to it, about equal in the fifth and sixth cate- 

 gories ; on tlie whole, therefore, in those three, embracing the 

 produces of moderate relationship ; and thence, in the direction 

 of in-breeding, gradually but strikingly lessening. It will, be- 

 sides, be well to bear in mind that in the third category of the 

 twelve stallions classed as successful, several, like Elthiron and 

 Windhound, are rather doubtful. 



From all this it would seem advisable to place most reliance 

 on those stallions who, cceteris parilma, are descended from pa- 

 rents of moderate relationship ; at the same time to be mindful, 

 however, whether in former generations of their pedigree the 

 same strains of blood have already met, in which case the in- 

 breeding would thereby be increased. We thus arrive at the 

 conclusion, that stallions of that degree of affinity in their 

 parents, perhaps with the addition of a category with seven 

 clear removes, are preferable to those who are in-bred or out- 

 crossed. I, at least, should be at a loss to furnish from all the 

 remaining stallions in the stud book, so stately a list as is com- 

 prised in the fourth, fifth, and sixth categories. That the de- 

 gree of relationship alone is insufficient, when kindred strains 

 of blood are united for the purpose of begetting high individual 

 potency, is self-evident : that end can only be attained by using 

 within the chosen families their most prominent members. 



Almost insurmountable difficulties would be encountered in 

 the attempt to compile similar tables for mares ; their number 

 is too great to admit of the possibility of arriving at anything 

 like reliable comparative figures. We must, therefore, confine 

 ourselves to a review of the celebrated matrons and see, whether 

 among them exist many cases of in-breeding, or whether in their 

 sex also the value for stud purposes appears impaired by too 

 close a relationship of their parents. 



Of mares that owe their existence to incestuous breeding, I 

 could find but t^vo that have proved at all successful at the 

 stud, that is to say, have bred winners of big races, viz. : 



1. Juliana, dam of the St. Leger winner Matilda, bred 1810, 



