244 ON ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION. 



of Nature, and, therefore, an impious and 

 unholy thing. Against this is quoted the 

 old maxim, that " He who makes two blades 

 of grass to grow where but one grew before 

 is to be accounted a benefactor to his 

 species " ; the argument being that, similarly, 

 he must be a benefactor who by these means 

 gives us three so useful animals as the horse 

 where only two were produced before. As 

 a matter of fact, no one can really control 

 or alter Xature, though man Avould seem 

 to be allowed to direct its operations, so far 

 as he can, to his own profit and advantage. 

 At least, it m.ay be alleged that there is, at 

 any rate, no inhumanity or cruelty involved 

 in this practice, which is perhaps more than 

 could be said of the opposite practice ; to 

 wit, the ruthless gelding of ninety-nine- 

 hundredths of our male horses, against which, 

 so far as I know, no voice has ever been 

 raised. 



Then there was the objection that foals 



