EDITORIAL REMARKS. 
171 
sole — cause of this scarcity is the large export trade in horses this 
country has now for some years been carrying on with foreign 
nations. It has now become a sort of established annual custom 
with France, and Belgium, and Russia, and Germany to send their 
marchands de chevaux and others into England to attend our large 
horse fairs, in order to make selection of our most promising cattle, 
and, regardless of cost, to purchase them for Royal or private studs, 
on whose account they have received commissions. No harm 
to us, probably, would accrue from this — at least, none but tvhat 
might in a few years or so be provided for and guarded against, 
were it not too frequently the object of these foreign buyers of our 
horse ware to purchase and carry away with them as many of our 
finest breeding mares as they could for money lay their hands upon. 
The honey we can spare ; or, if we can but ill spare it one year 
we will take care to augment our stock against the next ; but, de- 
prive us of our bees, and you render us “ poor indeed you take 
away 
“ The prop that doth sustain our house.” 
And yet this is not a matter in which Government very well can, 
or, indeed, ought to attempt to interfere. The Arabians prohibit, 
and prevent as far as they can, the carrying away of mares out of 
their country ; but for the English to pass an edict of this nature 
would be harmful if not destructive of our international trade, 
which, so far as horses are concerned, we have not as yet ascer- 
tained to be good or to be bad for us. 
Mr. Goodwin, as it would appear from his paper, does not view 
this horse commerce in any evil light; or, at least, if he does, it is 
not that he would have it put a stop to, but would provide against 
its effects by the establishment, on a large scale, of Government or 
Companies’ Breeding Studs : the latter, we would say, for several 
reasons, being preferable to the former, and the latter also ren- 
dered the more efficient the fewer the hands by which they were 
conducted, and the smaller the proprietary having any right to in- 
terfere with them. From breeding establishments on large scales, 
under an honest and judicious and liberal management, much, 
indeed, might be expected, not only as regards the numerical 
increase of our young stock to meet any demands of the horse 
