264 Tlie Agricultural Features of the Paris Exhilition. 
France, and can be bought for less monev. Thej are not so hand- 
some, however, nor can they go over the ground so quickly under 
a load. The Belgian display consisted almost whollv of these 
draught horses ; and it must be admitted that, from an English- 
man s point of view, they were entitled to rank above the general 
run of French draught horses. They are neither so high nor so 
heavv as the SufFolks of England, but thev come nearer to that 
breed than does any French race. They were represented in all 
the draught classes, and got a fair share of the honours. In the 
classes for horses and mares over four years old and under 16 hands 
high, in particular, they had a very creditable victory, having 
carried off against some good Percherons two of the three first 
prizes in each. It may be explained that, in the mare class 
there were several very fine British animals, but the British Juror 
having refused to accept for any of them less than a first prize, the 
three best were awarded each a supplementary prize, the ordi- 
nary prizes being left to the French and Belgian horses. In the 
stallion class referred to, there was only one English horse, and 
both by the Belgian and French horses he was fairly enough 
beaten. From our note-book we find that some of the Belgian 
horses were short and thick, with rather round bone, but very 
good muscle ; that they nearly all had what is called a Roman 
nose, and w ere all a little slack on the back ; that the prevailing 
colours were bay and chestnut ; that most of them had good fore- 
arms, broad chests, expressive eyes, rather coarse and heavy 
heads, small ears, short thick neck, plain hind-quarters, and 
deficient flank and thighs ; that several had bad feet, and only 
fair quality, and that a good manv were unsound in the legs. 
The light-legged horses shown from Belgium were only fair. 
Indeed, the Roman nose and hollow back are leading character- 
istics of the Belgian, or Flemish, horses, as they are more com- 
monly called. 
Austrian Hoeses. 
During recent years the Austrian Government has done a 
great deal to improve the native breed of horses, particularly 
those suited for carriage, saddle, and general army purposes. At 
numerous points choice sires are stationed, and let to breeders at 
from 2s. iid. to 30^. per mare ; w hile there are several Govern- 
ment breeding-studs at which thoroughbred and other horses are 
reared. !Many of the Hungarian landowners, too, have private 
breeding-studs of their own, and raise a class of horses scarcely 
inferior to the best specimens bred by the Government. The 
Austrian muster consisted whollv of light-legged horses, and the 
majority were shown by the Government. As a rule, they were 
bay in colour, neatly formed, with fine bone, good quality, ex- 
