Agricultural Capabilities of the New Forest. 
237 
The quondam Derby favourite, Autocrat, has for many years 
held his head-quarters at Lymington, on the borders of the 
Forest, and occasionally his services have been rendered to this 
neighbourhood, and his blood has in the second generation been 
introduced here and there with very good effect, so that some of 
the best ponies in the Forest have been the grandsons of old 
Autocrat. No better proof can be afforded as to how well, how 
kindly, and how successfully one-fourth blood will intermingle 
and improve native stock. The produce have been of a larger 
size than usual — Galloways in fact — and much more valuable. 
If the system had been followed of not allowing stallions to be 
turned out, but keeping the mares at home till they had seen 
the horse, great improvement might have been effected, and 
a valuable race of animals might have been raised. For the 
Foresters, although so neglected, are not without their virtues ; 
they are hardy, and have good fine limbs, and good action. 
Many of these Foresters of a larger size are used by the small 
farmers as farm horses, and for carting timber and other Forest 
])roducti()ns ; and it is no uncommon thing to see one of these 
fiat-sided little beasts pull away more than a ton of pitwood, or 
of sand, they are so extremely staunch. If the mares of this 
race had been put to small compact cart stallions, they would 
have produced some of the most profitable farm horses any one 
could possess. This has been done in several instances, and 
with good effect. 
With regard to the cattle, they are useful and hardy, though 
small ; and as they have never had the opportunity of putting 
on fat or flesh, there has been nothing to distract their attention 
from the production of milk. They have no doubt been ex- 
tensively crossed with the Guernsey and Jersey breeds — the 
Norman, as they are commonly termed; but they are much 
more hardy than their pure-bred ancestors, although they do not 
give such rich milk. It is very common to find these animals 
in the Forest in the depth of winter as well as during the summer 
months, on the principle, we suppose, that although they have no 
right to be there at this period, there is no great wrong com^ 
mitted. There are, in the hands of various private proprietors 
in the Forest, herds of pure-bred Jersey and Guernsey cattle, 
which have proved their excellence at various cattle shows. 
V. The Manors of the Forest. 
It has been already stated that in ancient times the Forest was 
more than double its present extent. It comprehended, in- 
deed, those large tracts of outlying land known as the manors, 
which for some centuries have been private property, having 
