TBE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



Hutchinson recommends the hunter 

 (what is the hunter ?— he is, pure and 

 simple, a weight-carrying thoroughbred i 

 to improve our standard. It was through 

 the loss of standard we lost the Indian 

 market. And how did it come about ? 

 By using weeds as sires because they 

 could run a bit. And since handicaps 

 have been introduced into our racing, the 

 horses imported for that purpose have 

 become worse and worse as sires. 



No one thinks more of blood than I do, 

 but we must endeavour to have the blood 

 combined with other good qualities wdiich 

 can be obtained in the weight-carrying 

 thoroughbred, otherwise known as the 

 hunter, but never from the horse bred to 

 fly five or six furhmgs with seven or 

 eight stone up. If speed and other 

 required qualities are combined, no one 

 will object. My remarks do not apply to 

 the breeders of racehorses. Anyone 

 desirous of winning the Breeders' Plate 

 must keep to the strain with speed, speed 

 being the only consideration in a race- 

 horse. 



In his article Mr. Hutchinson states : 

 "Again we must not lose sight of the 

 wonderful staying powers possessed by 

 the South African bred animal, and their 

 marvellous adaptability to their native 

 veld. But the question naiurally arises : 

 Why not endeavour to retam all these 

 qualities and still bring the stock of this 

 country up to a useful and profitable 

 standard." I consider no man can speak 

 with truth in higher terms of our horses 

 (not even De Wet ', as there is no deny- 

 ing the fact they can be greatly improved. 



If the Indian Government had placed 

 an order with us for 1,000 horses in 

 January, 18'.»'.>, of a standard 14-3 to 15-1, 

 we could not have sui)i)lied them ; if 

 London, for 100 matched pairs, the same 

 applies. And where lies the fault ? The 

 sires used are not in themselves up to the 

 standard required. 



Mr. Hutchinson considers there is 

 money in breeding Hackneys, and other 

 breeds, but in his article he in no way 

 advocated Hackney at the expense of the 

 Thoroughbrial, as he writes strongly in 

 favour of the Thoi'oughbred, and all I 

 liave heard S])eak on the question under- 

 stood him so. 



In horsebreeding, fashion has to be 

 studied to make it profitable, just as iu 



other businesses. If the monied men of 

 Johannesburg, and other large centres, 

 want Hackneys, Coach - horses, or 

 Thoroughbreds to make a show, they will 

 have them ; if we can't supply, they will 

 import. If there is a demand for any par- 

 ticular breed, let us supply ; though we 

 may not care for the breed ourselves, we 

 must not lose sight of the fact, it is money 

 thit makes the mare go. 



Wit^iin the last ten years, if I have 

 been asked once I have been asked a 

 hundred times, " Where can I get a good 

 stallion ?" With one or two exceptions 

 I was unable to say, as I knew the class 

 of horse wanted was unobtainable, and 

 th3 farmers were compelled to purchase 

 the class of horse referred to by Mr. 

 Hutchinson, brought round to the farms 

 by Cape, Natal, and Johannesburg specu- 

 lators. 



Again, other horses have been purchased 

 at Home on the off chance of recovery 

 from some malady. I heard remarked of 

 one such, " If he was well advertised he 

 would produce a marked sensation on 

 the stage as a thorough, efficient equine 

 musician," combined with a lovely hollow 

 back. I think it will be allowed such a 

 horse will not improve the present low 

 standard. If not dead, he must be at 

 stud in South Africa somewhere, and he 

 ii3 only one of many undesirables. 



Jambs McDonald. 



Dannhauser, 



26th August, 1901. 



COMMERCIAL ADVERTISERS. 



Sir,— On page 355, Vol. 4, of the 

 Journal, Mr. Pearce deals analytically 

 with fertilisers. Is he quite correct when 

 he says kainit contains about 13 per 

 cent., potash, and muriate about 60 per 

 cent. ? Henwood & Co.'s handbook says 

 kainit contains about 25 per cent. ; Sibson 

 gives it as 23 to 25 per cent., and muriate 

 80 per cent. Who is right ? 



Lately, I came across a paper telling 

 farmers, etc., what artificials were re- 

 quired for different crops ; thus for wheat, 

 oats, etc., and (I presume) mealies : - 

 Sub. ammonia ... 50 to 150 lbs. per acre. 

 P>asicslag ...300 to 400 „ 



Superphosphate 100 to 300 „ „ 

 Potash, muriate, ) 50 to 1.50 „ 



