JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
March 30,18S2. ] 
271 
FRUIT. 
fl. 
<i. 
s. 
( 1 . 
8 . 
a. 
8 . 
d 
Apples. 
. i sieve 
2 
0 to 6 
0 
Lemons. 
case 12 
(tolG 
0 
Apricots. 
<ioz. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Melons . 
eaoii 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Cherries. 
%» lb. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Nectarines. 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Chestnuts.. ... 
bushel If, 
0 
0 
0 
Oranves . 
100 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Currants, Itlack 
i sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Peaches . 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
,. Ked... 
i sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Pears,kitchen .. 
d ozen 
1 
0 
i 
G 
Fivs. 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
dessert . 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Filberts. 
V’tb. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Pine Apples .... 
V Tb 
1 
fi 
2 
0 
Cobs. 
100 i>-. 
50 
0 
(0 
0 
Strawberries ... 
per oz. 
0 
G 
o 
9 
Gooseberries ... 
4 sieve 
O 
0 
0 
0 
Walnuts . 
bushel 
7 
0 
8 
0 
Grapes . 
%>• tb 
G 
0 
12 
0 
POULTRY AND PIGEON CHRONICLE. 
CROSS-BREEDING HORSES. 
( Continued from page 249.) 
We have previously shown that the number of first-olas3 horses 
annually brought to maturity is very small, particularly for racing 
purposes. How can we explain such a falling-off that the off¬ 
spring, probably to the extent of 70 per cent., should prove 
inferior to both the sire and dam ? The'answer may be found in 
the fact, that although our first-class racehorses are large and 
powerful animals, yet they are descended from ancestors con¬ 
siderably smaller than themselves, and Nature makes a constant 
effort to return to the original type. But for this natural law 
there is no telling what size our thoroughbred horses might reach, 
for the constant effort of the breeder is to raise large colts, and it 
is almost an axiom with most men that, although a good little 
horse is very well, a good large horse is much better. 
Our previous remarks have referred to horses of full size and 
their advantages, but we now propose to consider if ponies can 
be made profitable animals to breed, more especially on the 
moors, hills, and waste lands which are at’intervals to be found 
scattered over all England, but particularly in the northern and 
western districts. It is there a matter worth the attention of the 
home farmer, who under his management has frequently a portion 
of land so poor and sterile that it can never pay for cultivation, 
and is frequently but ill adapted for the rearing of sheep or 
cattle. We are now alluding to such tracts of bog and moorland 
where in late years sheep and cattle have contracted the fluke 
rot, and been lost to the owners almost entirely by death or pre¬ 
mature slaughter. The waste hill lands are often the home of a 
race of ponies, or Galloway cobs, &c. ; for in every district of the 
character just alluded to the pony is found rough, shaggy, small, 
and for the most part poor, ragged-hipped, &c. Not alike, how¬ 
ever, in every district, for the Highland sheltic is not like the 
Welsh pony. This, again, differs from the Exmoor, and the Ex¬ 
moor from the New Forest pony. The variations are caused 
chiefly by the climate, soil, herbage, and other influences, such as 
the prejudices of the breeders, many of whom fancy that they 
possess the best breed of ponies in the kingdom, and in this way 
much improvement has been prevented. 
Examples have been found where the introduction of the Arab 
blood has been of great service, and has wonderfully influenced 
the race of pomes both as regards size and all the requisite qua¬ 
lities. We were informed that in the New Forest district a gentle¬ 
man who came from India about twenty-five years ago brought with 
him some splendid Arabian stallions which he had used for the 
turf at Bombay, and we are further informed’ that these animals 
were some of them wonderfully perfect in shape and docile, so 
much so that they were frequently used as saddle horses by the 
ladies, and proved equally quiet and good-tempered as geldings 
in ordinary use as riding horses. These circumstances contributed 
greatly towards recommending to gentlemen and owners of the 
ponies in the New Forest district the use of these Arab stallions 
for crossing the pony mares. The progeny, we are informed, ex¬ 
hibited an improvement and value of the colts far beyond the 
most sanguine expectations, and the whole blood of the Forest- 
bred animals has since been sought for more than at any former 
period. The general result has been, that instead of the small 
animals of former times, many beautiful cobs up to 14^ hands in 
height have been procurable from the animal draft, orperiodical 
sale of the improved stock reared in the Forest. 
With reference to the Exmoor and Welsh ponies, they are said 
to be truly descended from the horses which, tradition tells us, 
called for the encomiums of Caesar (as no doubt was the almost 
extinct pack-horse). As they have in a great measure lived a 
purely natural life, many of the mares never having been haltered, 
we must consider that we get them now in all their original hardi¬ 
hood and soundness, although certainly somewhat reduced in 
size. The Exmoors no doubt are the best of all our pony breeds, 
and are supposed to have come over with the Phoenicians, who in 
remote ages traded on the coast of Devonshire, or at any rate to 
have received a strong impression of eastern blood from that 
source. They are generally of a darkish brown colour, and the 
uncrossed ones are usually under 14 hands in height, thicker 
through than the New Forest pony, and showing more blood than 
the Welsh, while the Highlander is a mere cart horse in com¬ 
parison. Annual sales take place of so-called Exmoors at Hampton 
and elsewhere, but these ponies are generally crossbred, which 
has given them more size and power, for as they have Exmoor 
blood in their veins they are from their size better adapted fer 
general purposes than the native animal. In the year 1810 we 
are told an Exmoor pony was bought for the sum of 23-?. ! (a fair 
price in those days) at Simonsbath. 
Having stated the different breeds of ponies to be found in 
England, we must refer to how they can be utilised either by 
crossing or using as we find them. The greater portion offered for 
sale, instead of being the result of judicious crossing, are often 
(the Galloways especially) “chance bred’’through the promis¬ 
cuous intercourse of the animals called the stock of the forest or 
commons, which, as they frequently belong to various owners, are 
also obtained from various sources. Where hill pastures form 
part of (he home farm, or the domain on which it is situated, 
well-bred ponies can be made profitable to the breeders ; for we 
must take into consideration the great rise in value that has 
taken place in late years, especially since the introduction of the 
game of polo, and when they are of good blood and superior 
shape and make combined with action. In fact it is found at the 
present time that no animal of the horse kind commands such a 
ready sale or relatively such a high price as a good cob or pony. 
Get a pair of well-matched cobs that can step and you may ask 
nearly your own price for them and get it too. 
In first stocking the hillside for pony-breeding the first thing 
to be considered will be the number of mares that the hill would 
carry in its natural state so as to do them well. This point bejng 
determined we must consider the breed, and there can be’no 
selection equal to the aboriginal breed of the district if there is 
one in use ; where there is not one we recommend Exmoors. We 
must thus select such a size as our object in view dictates they 
should be mated with. Perhaps there could be no better or more 
profitable cross than with the Arab if he could be had of really 
pure and first-rate blood, as there is more to be said in his favour 
than any other which we can obtain. He is a wonderfully im¬ 
proving animal, for we often obtain stock larger than himself 
from large mares, and it is therefore fair to infer that he would 
enhance the size of the ponies in his offspring ; at the same time 
he is very hardy, and no breed, not even the indigenous ponies 
themselves, sustains vicissitudes of climate so well as a rule. He 
is very sound, having capital feet, with legs like bars of steel, 
while his endurance cannot be called in question by anyone who 
like ourselves have seen them under all the varying circumstances 
bv which they are ever surrounded, whilst in use in the different 
districts of the kingdom, where they are most prized and approved 
for the purpose of cross-breeding. With the mares properly 
mated with a horse of our choice there would be little to cio, at 
any rate until foaling, or we may say weaning time, and the 
interval may be profitably employed in seeking out sheltered 
positions for enclosures with south aspects. At weaning time of 
course all the young stock would be gathered together, placed in 
sheltered paddocks, and done as well as circumstances would 
allow during the first winter. Then a selection of the best fillies 
would be made for stock, not to run wild on the hillside all the 
year, but to be crossed again with blood sires of substance when 
