ON HORSE-BREEDING. 29 



to purposes of locomotion, afforded the sole 

 means of transport through, the length and 

 breadth of the land at a quicker rate than 

 four or five miles an hour, has owed the 

 best of its speed and stoutness to this im- 

 ported blood, and that this never would 

 have been imported but for racing purposes, 

 we must necessarily admit that the modern 

 horse supply of this country is very deeply 

 indebted to the Turf as an institution. 



The question next arises. Is its influence 

 as beneficial now, or likely to be so in the 

 future ? We are compelled reluctantly to 

 admit that on this point we are unable to 

 return so favourable an answer. The great 

 extension of our modern practice of two- 

 year-old racing, and the introduction of 

 multitudinous sprinting scrambles for large 

 stakes, with the absence of long distance 

 races from the cards of most meetings, 

 have naturally resulted in the development 

 of a fiashy, speedy sort of horse, which can 



