90 
Relative Profits to the Farmer from 
horse-breeding were his object, he would have clearly profited 
by having a good horse resting at home, serving only mares in 
the immediate district. Experience has shown what may readily 
be believed and accounted for, that a great many more foals are 
left by stallions who are kept at home during the season, or make 
very short, easy, and few rounds. 
Mr. Drew's suggestion that sixty mares should be the maxi- 
mum allowance for a' horse, and Mr. J. B. Booth's proposal to 
have every stallion subjected to a skilful and testing exami- 
nation, are well worthy of the favourable consideration of 
Agricultural Societies, and of landlords and tenants throughout 
the country. No doubt this restriction of the number of mares, 
as well as the precautions against the use of unsound animals, 
would necessitate a considerably higher charge for service than 
has generally been exacted ; but the farmers could well afford 
this, for they would have a better chance not only of getting a 
foal, but of obtaining a sound and healthy one. I believe that 
the owners of fairly good mares would find it advantageous to 
give, say, 3/. for the service of a mare, the fee rising to hi. in 
the event of a foal. This, supposing the number of mares to be 
about seventy, would amount to some 300Z. for the season of the 
horse, which should be fair remuneration, especially when it is 
remembered that under this system stallions might reasonably 
be expected to wear several years longer than they now do. Of 
course, the owners of the very best horses would require, and 
would readily get, more liberal terms. 
The ordinary farm-horses throughout the greater part of Eng- 
land, Scotland, and Ireland are of a mixed breed. Systematic 
crossing of native mares with Clydesdale stallions or Suffolk 
horses works a wonderful improvement on the animals — in- 
creases their size, bone, ?ind muscle, and generally improves 
their action and their power. Some of the hardiest and best 
farm-horses have a little bit of blood or breeding in them acquired 
through the dam. In Scotland, the Clydesdale stallion cross has 
greatly improved the ordinary farm studs. In England, it and 
the Suffolk Punch cross are doing similarly good work ; and in 
Ireland, specimens of these powerful and valuable breeds are 
being introduced with encouraging results. There is yet, however, 
much to accomplish in the way of further improving in size, 
and particularly in soundness and action, the agricultural horse- 
supply of the United Kingdom. For carrying out this much- 
needed improvement I think the Clydesdale is best adapted, 
though some prefer the Suffolk Punch. If farmers were nearly 
as particular about the individual qualities and pedigree, so to 
speak, of the horses they bred from, as many of them fortunately 
are in reference to the bulls and rams they use, they and the 
