RESEARCHES INTO THE CAUSES OF BLINDNESS. 409 
persons who stand up as advocates of pure breeds have not, we 
conceive, sufficiently considered the natural state of property, for- 
tune, and commerce in France. One of the most paramount con- 
ditions, in endeavouring to effect any amelioration in certain breeds 
of horses, is to carefully adapt all the means employed by the mode 
of cultivation most generally practised in that part of the country. 
In France, where there are few very large estates, and the pro- 
perty is much divided, and chiefly devoted to the growth of dif- 
ferent kinds of cereals, all systems that are not compatible with 
this would be at once rejected by most of the agriculturists. We 
can conceive, and we think it fitting, that wealthy landowners, who 
breed horses chiefly for pleasure, and seek no other object than that 
of appearing to advantage in the hippodrome, should delight in 
crosses with noble breeds ; but for those who calculate on the pro- 
duce of the soil, and have to weigh the expenses against the pro- 
fits, it is far better to select some one of the indigenous varieties 
that are easily got at, and accommodate themselves to the condi- 
tions, exigencies, and wants of the agriculture of the country. The 
choice having once been made, the breeder must avoid all parsi- 
mony, and act with care, judgment, and perseverance : this latter 
quality is especially requisite, since it is only after a series of ge- 
nerations that the bad qualities of the progenitors will be entirely 
got rid of. 
Having laid down these general considerations, we will confine 
ourselves to the limits of the country which is the subject of our 
essay. 
We have already stated that the large Belgiac and Andennois 
stallions exert a very prejudicial influence on the future well-being 
of the foal. Besides being too large and too strong for the mares of 
these parts, they frequently are ill-conditioned, blemished, have small 
deep-set eyes, and thus predispose their offspring to blindness. 
The utmost attention will be necessary to effect any radical reform, 
for the bastard breeds that multiply so rapidly mostly arise from 
the casual copulations which take place in the common pasture 
grounds. 
Condemning, as we do most completely, the use of these stal- 
lions, we shall naturally be called upon to state what kind of horse 
is found best adapted for the use of agriculturists in the district of 
Sarreguemines. 
The Percheron stallion appears to us in many respects to offer 
great chance of success. To the advantage of being procured with 
but little difficulty and for a moderate sum, it adds that of being 
well adapted for agricultural labour, for draught, for carriages, dili- 
gences, or even for artillery waggons, and to possess those quali- 
ties most requisite to oppose and overcome the defects of the mares 
VOL. XVIII. 3 K 
