184 BREEDING THE AMERICAN TROTTER. 



I like to have trotting stock for breeding purposes trace to 

 such animals as Kysdyk's Hambletonian through his best bred 

 sons, among which I consider embraced (alphabetically), Ad- 

 ministrator, Alexander's Abdallah, Ajax, Dictator, Dauntless, 

 Electioneer, Egbert, George Wilkes, Happy Medium, Harold, 

 Jay Gould, Messenger Duroc, Strathmore, Sweepstakes, Volun- 

 teer, and Victor Bismarck. 



I don't claim that this list embraces all the sons of Hamble- 

 tonian worthy of patronage, but I know that all of those con- 

 tributed largely to the establishment of the Hambletonian 

 family of the American Trotter of the period. However, in 

 the above list I have my own preferences, and especially so as 

 regards selecting the stallion ; as some of them were much 

 better brood mare sires than that of stallions. 



Mambrino Chief was another great progenitor of trotters — 

 mainly through his daughters — and pedigrees tracing to him 

 are well worthy ot consideration by the breeder of the Ameri- 

 can Trotter. 



Animals tracing to Imported Belfounder other than 

 through Hambletonian are also well worthy of consideration ; 

 especially those tracing to him through Green's Bashaw. Those 

 tracing to Vermont Black Hawk, especially through Daniel 

 Lambert, are usually desirable for the stud ; as are also all ani- 

 mals tracing to old Imported Diomed. As to Blue Bull, that 

 great progenitor of trotters from cold-blooded Indiana mares, 

 although his breeding cannot and perhaps will not ever be cor- 

 rectly ascertained, I have no doubt but he was a well-bred 

 horse and I should have no hesitancy in breeding to him 

 through his best-bred sons and daughters. 



Breeders of all classes of race-horses should bear in mind 

 that early foals are preferable in every way to late ones. The 

 reasons are obvious ; the early foal gets a good start and is bet- 

 ter able to withstand that great torment to all horse flesh, the 

 fly, which is so annoying to all horses, old and young, in the 

 field and in the stable. Foals dropped late in the spring or 

 early in the summer months, are not infrequently killed out- 



