REPLIES TO A SERIES OF QUESTIONS ON BREEDING. 7 
domesticated animals ; but mares of the cart breed produce 
more colts than fillies. Such, however, he thinks is not the case 
with thorough-bred stock, which may probably be explained 
by the “ in-and-in system of breeding ;’ 5 or rather a want of 
crossing with animals of dissimilar character. Other corre- 
spondents are of opinion that the dam is frequently at 
fault. 
We are surprised, however, not to find the attention of 
breeders directed to these peculiarities, for we believe that 
according to the age of the parents, so will be the vigour 
and also the sex of the progeny. In speaking of this we 
would ask if “ weeds 55 are not produced from some of the 
above causes? We have lately heard it stated that many of 
the Irish, and also persons of weak intellect, in public 
asylums, are the produce of those who have married first 
cousins. 
With reference to the influence that either the sire or 
dam may have upon the offspring, Mr. Stanley, in reply to 
the fifth question, states, “ the future progeny is liable to be 
influenced by imperfections both in breed and constitution, 
and these are mostly propagated by the sire. My inference 
is mostly derived from what I have frequently seen in my 
own establishment — having had several stallions which were 
kept purposely for breeding, and amongst them was 
e Cricketer,’ who, with few exceptions, was considered one 
of the soundest horses in existence. The only disease he 
had was a constitutional defect in one of his eyes. This 
affection was confined at first, and that for a long time, to the 
lachrymal apparatus principally, causing a continual flow 7 of 
tears over the side of the face. The horse w r as in my possession 
three or four years, and the eye did not become worse, but 
later in life he became blind. His stock w ere animals of first- 
rate quality and power ; and the only malady they w 7 ere 
subject to was ophthalmia. This affection, however, was not 
of very frequent occurrence. I wish also to mention that I 
knew a thorough-bred horse called ‘ York/ He was lame 
from bone spavins, snd nearly all his stock w 7 ere affected in 
the same way, and became incurably lame ; in fact some 
were foaled lame, or became so before they attained the age 
of one year . 55 
We have already alluded to the subject of “ weeds 55 We 
shall close this summary with a few 7 additional remarks upon 
them by Messrs. Stevens, Gibbon, and Stanley. 
Mr. Stevens thinks, that want of proper feeding of the 
mare is in a great measure the cause of the above description 
of horse. He also says that cart stallions have often far too 
