These changes have brought about as a natural con- 

 sequence a decrease in the demand for the stamp of horse 

 which was formerly required ; and this decreased demand is 

 shown by the falling off in our importations of horses during 

 the last few years. 



It will be observed that our imports of horses have now 

 fallen below those of the years previous to 1899, 1900 and 

 1 901, the period when the South African War drained England 

 of horses for artillery and transport, and obliged us to buy 

 foreign horses in greater number than we had ever done 

 before : — 



Imports of Horses for the Twenty Years, 1886 — 1905 



1886 11,027 1896 40,677 



1887 11,649 1897 49,519 



1888 11,504 1898 42,921 



1889 13,859 1899 43,900 



1890 19,404 1900 51,787 



1891 21.715 1901 40,856 



1892 21,026 1902 32,686 



1893 13,719 1903 27,266 



1894 22,866 1904 18,491 



1895 34,092 1905 13,711 



Horses Bred in England 



I have given the figures for the last twenty years to enable 

 the reader to compare those of recent years with importations 

 at earlier dates ; but it is the steady decrease during the last 

 four years upon which I wish to insist ; and in conjunction 

 with these figures for 1902, 1903, 1904 and 1905, I would 

 ask the reader's attention to the Government Returns of 

 Agricultural Horses in England during the last few years : — 



