presented to the ' Socidtc des Agriculteurs de France.^ 165 
powerful ; the shoulders good, the action very free. They 
trotted lightly over the broken ground, and gave one the idea 
that many ol' them were capable of drawing waggons at a trot. 
In one class of Clydesdales (Class 6) one horse (No. 125), which 
was passed over with a mere mention by the Judges, as being 
smaller than some of the others, would make admirable crosses 
for the mares belonging to the Boulogne and Ardennes breeds. 
With our English cart-horses the writer does not appear to 
have been so much impressed ; he thinks that all the draught- 
horses were shown in a state of exaggerated fatness ; a criticism 
which seems very well placed ; and he concludes by saying, 
" To sum up, while admiring much the breeds of English 
draught-horses, we believe our French races are more useful for 
us, and more adapted to our wants, and that only in exceptional 
cases we need seek in England for stallions to cross with our 
own draught-horses, in order to give substance and compactness 
to some of the more loosely built breeds." 
The hunting blood-mares he describes as exceptional in size, 
strength, and beauty ; the stallions rather disappointed him, and 
I think he was not far wrong in describing the remaining classes 
of hunters as only moderate. 
The roadsters are described as of a very fine type, short- 
legged, well coupled, with beautiful action, trotting with an 
ease and smoothness quite remarkable. From amongst these 
the French breeders are advised that they might make excellent 
selections to improve their half-bred horses, by infusing spirit, 
soundness of limb, especially in the hocks, which are generally 
weak points in French horses. The writer saw nothing prettier 
or more graceful than Mr. Wilson's ponies ; their beautiful action 
and good manners, their strength and activity, which would 
enable them to carry an ordinary man, or rapidly draw a light 
carriage, appear to have equally delighted and astonished him. 
And from amongst these he is of opinion that the French 
breeder might make a wise selection for crossing the ponies of 
the Landes. 
The docility and good manners of all the horses seem to have 
surprised the reporter, who contrasts the behaviour of horses of 
4 or 5 years old preceding their grooms with a long loose rein, 
in fine form and perfect pace, with the disorderly and untrained 
horses of a French Show. 
The reporter on the cattle appears equally delighted and im- 
pressed with the uniformity of the English breeds ; but the only 
point of interest in his criticism seems to be that the Shorthorns 
took the prizes both in their own classes and also amongst the 
dairy-cattle ; the explanation given to him was that in the race 
are two types, of which one is distinctively a milk-producing 
