This table of fees brings out another suggestive fact. In 

 1899 the highest fee was 165. Sd. charged for the service of 

 Thoroughbred mares by the Thoroughbred stalHon Montbran. 

 In 1905, 85., or less than half, is the fee set upon the ser\'ice of 

 the only English Thoroughbred ; but the Half-bred Trotter 

 sire commands a fee of 165. in 1905, whereas in 1899 service 

 by Half-breds could be had at 5s. and 85. ^d. These changes 

 show us very clearly what blood is most in demand among the 

 shrewd French horse-breeders who seek to produce horses 

 that will sell. 



Lesparre is in a district in which horse-breeding is by no 

 means a prominent industry — it is one of the chief vine- 

 growing regions of France ; the celebrated vineyard Chateau 

 Lafite is only seven miles distant from Lesparre — yet the 

 owner of a mare may choose from seven stallions, representing 

 five different strains, paying the small fees specified above. 

 The supply of stallions is adjusted to meet the local demand ; 

 the foregoing list shows us that experience has taught the 

 Stud authorities to make provision for service by Half-breds 

 of five times as many mares as are sent to the Thoroughbred 

 or Anglo-Arab. 



There is no heavy draught stallion at Lesparre ; the 

 reason is to be found in the fact that oxen are very generally 

 used for cart and plough in this district, and heavy draught 

 horses therefore are not bred. If we turn to the P'inistere 

 Department of Brittany, where post horses are bred, we 

 shall find the same principle in operation ; there stand stallions 

 of a stamp calculated to get the sturdy " blocky " horses for 

 which the district is noted, and which have been graded up 

 from imported Hackney sires. 



In France, during the year 1904, there were 3,213 

 stallions belonging to the State in actual work; these covered 

 175,956 mares. Looking more closely into the returns of 

 service, we find that in the Thoroughbred class (English, 

 Arab, and Anglo-Arab), 583 stallions performed 25,577 

 services, or about 44 each ; the Half-bred class, 109,271 



26 



