58 



different districts in the same way that the Royal 

 Agricultural Society divides it ; and in the principal 

 towns in those districts prizes might be given for 

 stallions that had been covering, at a small fee, 

 mares belonging to tenant-farmers in that district. 

 They might assemble in those towns. 



You would find very good judges, who would 

 judge them, probably, for nothing at all ; or, at all 

 events, only for their travelling expenses ; and one 

 good result would be that you would have these 

 horses examined ; and whether they won a prize or 

 not they should have a medal if they passed sound — 

 that is, not having any hereditary disease. As soon 

 as you had started these competitions— and I do 

 hope that this Show that we are going to see 

 to-morrow is only the beginning of them — I think 

 you might, in a year or two, supplement it by a 

 Show of brood mares and foals, those foals to be 

 got, if not by one of the prize horses, at all events 

 by a horse having a medal for soundness. That 

 would do more to help the breeding of half- 

 bred horses than anything else, putting aside the 

 difficulty of having Government stallions or a Govern- 

 ment stud. It is not only a question of profit to those 

 who breed themselves, but to the public at large. 



We all know that the Government at this 

 present time has the greatest difficulty in remount- 

 ing their cavalry and artillery. I know a colonel of 

 a regiment, lately come from India, who tells me that 

 he had the greatest difficulty to get horses even of 



