French Agriculture and State Establishments. 



267 



In the last Report presented to the Chamber, the result of the 

 home breed is pronounced to be quite satisfactory. They have 

 come out at the public races, and have proved their good qualities 

 by public running. The Report predicts that they shall soon be 

 independent of English supply, except for an occasional cross of 

 the best and most esteemed blood. 



A French stud-book has been published, with a complete list 

 of all the thorough-bred horses imported, or bred in France. 

 The Government intends to collect the necessary documents to 

 continue its publication. 



The breed of carriage-horses is improving in Normandy, where 

 trotting matches have been instituted. 



Besides these large establishments, individual enterprise is 

 encouraged by the offer of prizes to any one who proposes to 

 travel a stallion which shall be approved of by the authorities. 

 The prizes are, for a riding-horse, from 12/. to 241. ; a carriage- 

 horse, 8/. to 201. ; a cart-horse, 41. to 8/. : for thorough-bred 

 brood mares, Arab, Barb, Turkish, Persian, or English, from 

 8/. to 16/. : for a country mare, covered by a thorough-bred 

 horse, from 8/. to 12/. 



These high premiums, it appears, have led to some abuses. 

 The possessors of the prize mares, instead of preserving them for 

 breeding, in fulfilment of the intention of the Government, finding 

 an increased facility in their sale from the prizes they have gained, 

 have sold them out of the districts. To prevent this, the premium 

 is now spread over a term of three years, half is paid in the two 

 first years, and half in the third year. 



The difficulty of conducting these large establishments from 

 one centre point of management must be great, requiring ma- 

 chinery of proportionate power and compass. The correspond- 

 ence is voluminous, and the returns infinite. Nothing would 

 better illustrate this than a glance at the rules and orders of the 

 haras. The royal ordonnance for the " organization and regulation 

 of the haras" fills a quarto volume of 52 pages. The duties of 

 inspectors-general, of directors, of local inspectors, of special 

 agents, of surveyors, of veterinary surgeons, of breakers, of 

 jockeys, of working grooms, are set forth with full particulars ; 

 the dress of each is prescribed through every article of his ward- 

 robe, from the military hat with a black plume of the inspector- 

 general, the blue stable jacket, cut a I'Anglaise, of the groom, 

 his pantaloons garnis de demi-bottes simulees en cuir, down to his 

 leather straps, and his two black hair stocks. 



Everything relating to the horses is fixed with equal precision. 

 Their stations at head- quarters, their posts during the season, 

 their allowance of forage^ when stationary, and when moving, 



VOL. I. u 



