68 ' 5 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
accommodations provided for them are excel¬ 
lent. 
From such an admirable selection of stallions, 
breeders cannot fail to find those which are suit¬ 
able for all kinds of mares adapted to produce 
horses of the most valuable class. Those who 
do not feel confident in their own judgment may 
rely on that of the proprietors of this establish¬ 
ment ; for it is quite evident they would not have 
an animal of inferior kind on the premises. The 
same discrimination is manifest in every depart¬ 
ment. In breeding horses, three essential sub¬ 
jects should be most scrupulously observed; the 
choice of proper parents, providing them and 
their offspring with suitable food, and judicious 
treatment of the legs and feet. 
If these points were thoroughly respected in 
their various details, the progeny would be of a 
superior kind; weak, infirm animals would be 
exceptions. Unfortunately, however, one of the 
first sources from whence success can be rea¬ 
sonably expected is disregarded, that is, the 
superior and valuable foal will be the issue of an 
inferior mare is an anomaly difficult to reconcile. 
It is a theory dangerous to circulate; for too 
many persons are inclined, when they have mares 
which are worthless for other purposes, to con¬ 
sign them to the stud, upon the chance of their 
producing good foals. Loss and disappoint¬ 
ment are almost invariably the result. 
Opinions vary whether foals partake most of 
the good or bad qualities of the sire or dam. 
Many examples may be brought forward to main¬ 
tain an argument on both sides ; but the safest 
plan, and the only one to bo adopted as a rule, 
is to avoid breeding from inferior animals of 
either sex. Being in possession of a good mare 
the next consideration is, which stallion is most 
suitable? and in this selection much discrimina¬ 
tion is necessary. It is an established fact, that 
animals do not invariably partake of the nature 
and property of their immediate parents; but 
they take after their grandsires and grandams, 
and even more remote generations. This is 
very palpable with reference to color. 
Nothing can be more likely to entail disap¬ 
pointment than expecting to obtain symmetry 
and perfections by the combination of great ex¬ 
tremes. In hope of breeding a weight-carrying 
hunter, it is useless to put a cart-mare to a 
thorough-bred horse. Fancy the produce, with 
head and body resembling the dam; neck, 
shoulders, and legs like those of the sire; and 
a precious specimen of deformity it would be. 
But this is not an imaginary problem. Much as 
I admire Cleveland Short-legs, I should more 
contemplate his being the sire of a hunter from 
a thorough bred mare. It is the adaptation of 
every horse to the purpose for which he is best 
calculated that renders him of the utmost value 
he is capable of attaining, and success is mainly 
dependent on the judgment of the owner in 
making a suitable distinction. If he is intended 
to breed carriage-horses from good-shaped, pow¬ 
erful mares, and something of the same stamp 
as the horse just named, a better kind of animal 
cannot be desired. 
As we require horses for various purposes, it 
is very important to cultivate those which are 
most perfect in their respective properties, and 
this can only be accomplished by keeping the 
different classes very nearly distinct, otherwise 
we obtain a mongrel breed, scarcely fit for any 
thing, certainly not fit for breeding hereafter. 
This remark is particularly applicable to 
mares which are not thorough-bred; unless 
their lineage is known, and the properties of 
their progenitors, breeding from them is quite a 
matter of chance. Such a mare may have the 
appearance of being well-bred, though her grand- 
sire may have been a cart-horse ; and she may 
requite her owner, whose hopes are concentrated 
in the prospective of breeding a hunter with 
the prototype of her grandsire. These and 
similar coincidences have led so many persons 
to regard the subject of breeding horses with 
distaste. They or their neighbors have been 
disappointed, while others who have devoted 
more attention to the subject have been suc¬ 
cessful. Thus it is often declared that breeding 
is dependent upon chance; but that is a mis¬ 
taken opinion. Many circumstances may occur, 
the causes of which at the first glance we can- 
mot account for, but investigation will generally 
elucidate the mystery. Nature’s mandates will 
be obeyed; and persons who will take the 
trouble to investigate her laws, will take advan¬ 
tage of precepts for their future guidance. 
Breeders of racing stock have in many re¬ 
spects fewer difficulties to contend with than 
those who breed for other purposes. They 
have the Stud Book and Racing Calandar to re¬ 
fer to, by which they can determine what 
crosses of blood have been most successful. 
By this they are enabled to avoid incestuous 
strains. On that account, mares by Touchstone 
would not be suitable to Harkaway, as the 
grandsires of each, Whalebone and Whisker, 
were own brothers. Epirus would be the selec¬ 
tion, and for this we have examples. Pyrrhus 
the First, one of his sons, was out of Fortress 
by Defence ; Defence by Whalebone ; Lamar¬ 
tine, another, out of Grace Darling, also by De¬ 
fence. Upon the same principle, mares by Sir 
Hercules would be admirably adapted to Epi¬ 
rus, and most others which are descended from 
Whalebone or Whisker. Mares by Yenison 
would be suitable either to Epirus or Harka- 
way ; and as there is such a well-selected diver¬ 
sity of blood among the stallions at Dudding 
Hill, there can be no difficulty in procuring that 
which is most eligible. 
It has been frequently noticed that the best 
foals have not been brought forth till one of the 
parents have become advanced in years; but 
this more often applies to stallions than mares. 
There is certainly an objection to breeding from 
very old mares, because their offspring is gener¬ 
ally smaller than those which are foaled during 
the most vigorous period of their lives. Many 
celebrated breeders appear to have a great pre¬ 
dilection for very young mares; but I believe 
both extremes should be avoided. It may be 
remarked that some of our best horses were 
first foals; Doctor Syntax, Filho daPuta, Touch¬ 
stone, and Sir Hercules. Several others might 
be enumerated, but they do not occur to me at 
the present moment. Paynator was twenty 
years old when Doctor Syntax was foaled; 
Whalebone, the sire of Sir Hercules, was the 
same age; Haphazard was fifteen, and Camel 
nine years old when their respective sons came 
into life. These examples are in favor of patri¬ 
archal sires and somewhat juvenile matrons. 
The age of Doctor Syntax’s dam is not known, 
but the others were six, five, and four years old 
respectively. 
An attempt is very frequently made, when a 
mare is undersized, to endeavor to compensate 
for that defect by putting her to the largest 
horse that can be found. I believe it to be a 
most erroneous practice; because the offspring, 
taking after each of its patents, is commonly 
disproportioned. Unless the anatomical pro¬ 
portions are accurate, perfect action cannot 
exist; and without that, a horse cannot be gifted 
with either speed or endurance. If a mare be 
undersized, it is far more probable that success 
will follow in the event of her being put to a 
moderate-sized horse, relying on good keep to 
bring her offspring to the required standard, 
than to attempt to force nature by any means 
that are opposed to her principles. Whatever 
foals are reared on the Dudding Hill stud-farm 
will not be deficient in their growth from want 
of proper food or attention .—London Sporting 
Magazine. 
Produce at Kknosiia.— The Kenosha Tribune 
has obtained from the different warehouses, the 
amount of grain in store at that point, whence 
it sums up the following: Wheat, 56,564 bush¬ 
els ; oats, 71,187 bushels; barley, 6,307 bushels. 
We understand from good authority, that 
there is now in store at Sheboygan, awaiting 
shipment to the Eastern markets, about 100,000 
bushels of grain, besides other freight. Cap¬ 
tains and vessel owners may find it to their ad¬ 
vantage to inquire there for freight .—Chicago 
Tribune. 
-—- • • • - 
A HORSE BIOGRAPHY. 
“There goes ‘old Dandy,’ and a noble old 
fellow he is too,” said some one just now. We 
looked out and saw this famous horse, and could 
not help thinking how bravely he had done his 
duty in his day and generation. “ Old Dandy” 
was of highly respectable parentage, and is a 
native of this country. He was raised by Har¬ 
ry Olmsted, of Greece, and is about 25 years of 
age. He was first put in livery in 1835, and has 
remained in that harness ever since, without 
losing a day. He was first owned by Mr. Chris¬ 
topher, and ate his oats in the old yellow stable 
that occupied the ground upon which Mr. Ham¬ 
ilton’s fine block now stands. He has been 
owned at three different times by Mr. George 
Charles, whose property he is now, and once 
by Mr. George Walbridge. He has always been 
owned on State street. 
“Horse-men” think that “Dandy” is one of 
the most remarkable quadrupeds that ever trot¬ 
ted in harness. He has always had thews of 
iron and muscles of steel, with the “ constitu¬ 
tion of a horse,” an eye of fire, and a way of 
getting himself up that astonishes all who see 
him. He is a “Dandy” of an animal, gay, 
showy, impetuous, strong-bitted, and unlike 
other dandies, useful. Even now, with all his 
years upon him, he is one of the best, if not the 
best “ driver” in town. His muscles have lost 
none of their elasticity, and his eye none of its 
fire. He is a dark chestnut horse, of good av¬ 
erage size, and with a loftiness of bearing, as if 
conscious of his own noble traits. 
In these days “ Dandy” confines his journey- 
ings to short drives about town and brief ramb- 
lings in the country. In former years he has 
done his 75 miles before a wagon, between 
breakfast and tea, time and again, and rather 
liked it. Some years since he was driven 68 
miles a day five days in succession, and was 
ready for a drive to the lake or out on the ridge, 
as soon as he had taken a bite 
“Dandy” was never sick a day in his life. 
He ignores doctors. He was never at grass. 
He has lost all natural fondness for green fields 
and the like. He admires oats and such like 
substantial fare, but he despises fresh croppings 
in the country. He has often been sent to grass 
4, 6, and 8 miles in the country, but he leaped 
the fence and was in the stable before the man 
returned who took him out. 
“ Dandy” runs away. He likes thus to ter¬ 
rify young men unskilled in horses, particularly 
if they are inclined to show off to the lady 
whom they may have at their side. Then “ Dan¬ 
dy” laughs at their feeble strength, he contemns 
feminine shrines and screams, and rushes off 
headlong, with no thought except of his fami¬ 
liar stall. Facetious Dandy ! When a lady loses 
confidence in her driving cavalier the ride is 
apt to be short, and you, with your tricks should 
be held responsible for it. But Dandy does not 
always choose to run away from unskilled 
hands. He sometimes indulges this propensity 
even when a master hand is at the ribbons. He 
wishes to show the vanity of human pride, and 
how much stronger his hard mouth is, than the 
strong muscles which try to control him. 
“Dandy” loves an inn, a country tavern he 
smelleth afar off, and always hauls up before it 
just long enough for the mixing and imbibing of 
a beverage, and then he proceeds. Drive him 
out to George Wimble’s, and see if he can be 
driven by any tavern where there is a bar. 
Not unless he has in his old age taken up for 
the “Maine Law.” “Dandy” was always a 
fast horse, and even now he can out trot the 
majority of horses that compete with him. Still 
it is not so much his speed, as his bottom and 
his tremendous endurance that give him noto¬ 
riety here, and make him a marvel among 
“ horse-men” every where. 
“ Dandy” has been in livery 19 years, or 
about 6900 days. More than x that number of 
