DESCRIPTIONS OF THE MORGAN. 37 



L " Efivenge ' was foaled in Claremont, N. H., out of a " middle-sized 

 white mare, of no particular blood." 



II. " ShermaL JMorgan," raised in Lyndon, Vt., was from a " chestnut 

 colored mare, of rather light bone, and said to be of English blood." 



III. " Bulrush," bred by Mr. Gifford, of Tunbridge, Vt., was out of 

 ' thick, heavy, dark bay aud rather lazy mare." 



IV. " Woodbury," or " Burbank," was also foaled in Tunbridge, Vt., and 

 was out of a " bay mare, said to weigh about 1000 pounds, a smart, good 

 Jriver." 



" Burbank" was doubtless the best colt from the loins of the old horse, 

 kept as a stallion. He was the sire of the " Gifford Morgan, now owned 

 by F. A. Weir, of Walpole, N. H.," [and grandsire of " General GiflFord,' 

 given in our cut. — Ed.} 



The Committee of the N. Y. State Agricultural Society, " on 

 stock owned, out of the State," at the State Fair at Auburn, in 

 1846,~ thus spoke of the Morgans, and of the horse (General 

 G iiibrd) represented in the out, and of his sire Gifford Morgan : — 



" Gifford Morgan, a dark chestnut stallion, fourteen hands and three 

 inches high, aged twenty years, was exhibited by F. A. Weir, of Walpole, 

 N. H. It is claimed on the part of his owner, that this horse possesses the 

 celebrated " Morgan" blood in greater purity than any other now living. 

 " General Gifford," got by the above-named horse, was exhibited by Mr. 0. 

 Blodget, of Chelsea, Vt. In his size, figure, action, and color, he closely 

 resembles his sire. Both are exceedingly compact horses, deep-chested, 

 strong-backed, with fore-legs set wide apart, and carrying their heads 

 (which are small, with fine, well set eyes) high and gracefully, without a 

 bearing-rein. Their action attracted the marked admiration of all This 

 breed are reputed to possess great bottom and hardiness, and everytliing 

 about the two presented, goes to prove that their reputation, in this par- 

 ticular, is well founded. For light carriage or buggy horses, it would be 

 difficult to equal them, and if by crossing with prime large mares, of any 

 breed, size could be obtained in the progeny, without losing the fire and 

 action of the Morgan, the result of the cross would be a carriage of very 

 superior quality. Your committee are not aware of the extent or result 

 of such crosses, in the region where the Morgans originated. Unless expe- 

 rience has already demonstrated their inutility, we could recommend to our 

 horse-breeders, some well-considered experiments, limited at first, to test 

 the feasibility of engrafting the Morgan characteristics on a larger horse." 



A distinguished judge of horses in Vermont, writes us : — 



" The original Morgan ought not to be pronounced a thorough-bred horse, 

 not having been bred from a full blood mare. Yet it is evident that the 

 rich, high blood from which he sprung, though slightly diluted, is the cause 

 of the reputation to which his stock has attained. But when we trace down 

 his stock, we find, in the very first generation, an admixture of cold, worth- 

 less blood, to the full measure of one -half. The result, usual in similar 

 cases, is found here. Many of the colts related more or less nearly to tha 

 old horse, exhibit the characteiistics of the " Morgan" /orm, but lack com- 

 pactness — not of general form, but of mvscle, and they lack bottom. Thp 

 general characteristics of the Morgan family, are small size, weighing from 

 seven hundj-ed to one thousand pounds — a long but strong back — plump- 



