THE PROGRESS OF THE TURF IN FRANCE. 499 
satisfactory and rapid, if these monies are fairly and judiciously 
distributed. 
It becomes other governments, and especially that of England, 
from whose country the means of improvement in the breed 
and character of the horse have long been chiefly and sys- 
tematically and to a fearful extent drawn ; and in which a sys- 
tem at variance with the full development of the power of the 
horse, and at variance also with humanity and common sense, has 
been for many years pursued — it behoves the government of such 
a country to awake, ere it is in this respect for ever fallen. 
In the July number of the “ Journal des Haras, ” is the an- 
nouncement of a society in France for mutual assurance against 
the loss incurred by the death of horses, cattle, sheep, &c., and 
for the establishment and security of which a royal ordonnance 
will be sought. The Editor of this periodical most strangely 
says, that it will be useless to lay before his readers the rules and 
regulations of this intended society ; and that he shall content 
himself with publishing the introductory address, “ for it states in 
a clear and precise manner the actual wants of the country at 
this epoch, and the advantages of an institution in every respect 
beneficial and useful. ” 
We must withhold our opinion about this until we obtain an 
outline of the plan. The preface speaks fairly and truly of the 
advantage which has accrued from the insurance of our habita- 
tions and of every article of manufacture and of commerce, move- 
able and immoveable ; but in no plan hitherto laid before the 
public has the live-stock of the farmer or the merchant been 
included ; no provision has been made against the disastrous 
results of epizootics, or of unforeseen accidents, which have often 
more than decimated the flocks in various localities, and brought 
the farmer to utter ruin. He says that the time is now arrived, 
when, by means of a light sacrifice, all this may be avoided. This 
is all very good ; but the precise object of the society — the extent 
to which it will go — the plain straightforward regulations by 
which it will be governed — we will wait a little for these : yet, in 
the mean time, we thought that the announcement of such a so- 
ciety would not be uninteresting. 
