234 
Day on IIoise-Breeding. 
money to that of giving Prizes at agricultural shows ; at all events 
he would divide it. 
The chapter on " Mating " is full of really practical hints of great 
value to the breeder, as also is that upon the treatment of the mare, 
the foal, the yearling, and the stallion. Of the "Hunter and Troop 
Horse " he says : " All good hunters are now more or less derived 
from a thoroughbred cross." " When mating with the intent to get 
hunters, the following are the chief points to study. Both the horse 
and mare should have good action, and should be temperate and 
well-mannered. They should have good heads and necks, with fine 
long slanting shoulders rising at the withers. They should each have 
a strong broad back and ragged hips, with good propelling power to 
assist them over their fences. They should have strong bone, and 
stand well on their legs, having flat hocks well bent under them, free 
from curb or any defect. They must also be sound and have no taint 
of disease, hereditary or otherwise. All these points, too, ought to 
characterise with equal fulness the relatives of both the horse and the 
mare we select. As to size, I should prefer a mare about 1 5 hands and 
1 or 2 inches, not more, and a stallion of about 15^ hands high." 
We now come to what is evidently a pet subject of our author's, 
and find him devoting fifty pages to prove the economy to farmers 
in using half-bred horses instead of cart-horses or Shires. His 
chief argument is that whereas a cart-horse walks only 1^ miles an 
hour, a half-bred walks 2^. By applying this to ploughing he makes 
a calculation to prove that on a farm where twenty-four horses are 
kept, the saving under this head would be 725/. 8a\ per annum, 
which, added to the net profit to be derived from the yearly produce 
of twenty-four well-bred mares, makes a total profit of 1,347/. 16s., 
and he adds : " This certainly seems an immense sum for any 
farmer to add to his revenue by adopting the system I advocate, 
yet I shall show that the estimate is still capable of augmentation." 
Applying this principle to the whole tillage land of Great Britain, 
he states : "The national gain then would amount to 22,657,494/. ; " 
and remarks : "Surely so immense a present loss and possible gain 
is worth reflection, and cannot long remain neglected." 
Mr. Day values the produce of the half-bred mares at four years 
old at 70/. to 80/. each. Some people may say this is too high, and 
that Shires come to be useful at 2 years old, and are more easily 
sold. The question of light horses versus heavy for farm work has 
been often discussed, but it is too big to go into here. For grass- 
mowing, carriage horses are admirable, but for ploughing* much 
depends on the quality of the ground. On heavy clay-land you must 
have big horses ; the weight is necessary to get steady ploughing. 
Again, locality, as to whether it oflers a more ready sale for heavy 
or light horses, is to be considered. 
Twenty-eight pages suffice to deal with the Draught Horse, the 
Trotter, the Galloway, the Pony, and the Ass. Of the latter Mr. 
Day speaks in much praise and s lys : " If landlords could be induced 
to keep a good Jackass for the use and benefit of their poor 
tenants and others, whether labourers, costerinongers, itinerant 
dealers, or what not, some good might surely accrue." 
