406 
.1 French Haras and Horse Fair. 
said, at a long distance. Then followed a French Stud-book, 
a record of Arab and English blood horses and mares imported. 
The French do not inscribe the vulgar herd in their golden 
books, says M. Gayot, there must be something noble — mother 
races. He devotes a long and interesting chapter of his work 
to the Stud-book, and mentions many in existence and an 
important addition then promised — a general Stud-book for 
French cart-horses, to be taken up by the Societe des Agriculteurs 
de France. In France, as in England, the feeling appears to 
be gaining ground — the horse-breeder, like the chemist, should 
be assured of the purity of his materials ; or if he uses mixtures 
he should be assured of their purity, and the exact strength of 
the elements. M. Gayot suggests, in addition, a Stable-book to 
show the exact "dose" of English pure blood in the half-bred 
stock, and goes on to say the Stud-book and record idea has 
taken root and flourishes — " FicUe a triom^phe siir toute la ligne." 
English horse-breeding, according to M. Gaj^ot, is an art, not 
a science, and requires great tact ; the English manner requires 
English tact, the art cannot be reduced to rule. Theories do 
not trouble the skilful PJnglish breeder ; he observes, thinks, and 
conforms to his materials and his aim. In the aim is his power — 
he always knows what he wants, he knows better than we do 
what to expect from a given union. What might appear happy 
accidents to the superficial observer, are really and truly the 
fruits of the most judicious combinations of the most skilful 
practitioners ; clever breeders are thinly sown everywhere, even 
in England. The English process is very complicated, it is not 
general in England, it does not always succeed ; they admire 
good results, and do not talk of bad ones — on ne va j^as le dire a 
Rome ! It would be useless to recommend the English m9,nner 
to an ordinary Frenchman, there is nothing in his nature upon 
which such nurture could stick. He works on a small scale and 
would not even try ; you might as well ask him to take the 
moon with his teeth — lid demander de prendre la lune avec les 
dents ; he employs the horse they bring to his door, he must have 
everything ready made to his hand or he will have nothing — 
creatures of habit they are, creatures of habit they will remain. 
We have, then, visited the French Haras ; we have, the better 
to understand it, attended the horse fair, and, to further under- 
stand both, we have glanced at the excellent work of the able, 
experienced, and candid M. Gayot ; and in my view the sum of 
the whole matter as regards the Haras is this : the French 
horse-breeder is uninstructed and supine, and so leans upon his 
Government ; the successful Englishman, on the other hand, is 
skilful, and full of self-reliance, and — say I — long may he con- 
tinue so ! — a lion in his own cause. 
