114 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
produced from various crossings, which are so 
recent as not to be reliable, and unfitted to act 
efficiently on established breeds. 
This interesting study, becoming more at¬ 
tractive the farther we proceed, gives rise to 
two new trains of ideas; and circumstances 
which have divided popular opinion for some 
years, not only with regard to the horse, but 
also .with respect to the improved breeding of 
other domestic animals; Must we cross native 
breeds'? Should we keep up a judicious and 
continued selection ? These are the chief points 
of the inquiry. 
In the case of the horse, and speaking only of 
trotting and draft animals, M. Baudement is in 
favor of the latter system. He has so fully 
shown the advantages connected with it, and 
with a deep and special knowledge of the facts, 
such as he possesses, it seems difficult to avoid 
concurring with him to the exclusion of all 
other arguments, in favor of the method of im¬ 
proving breeds by themselves. Looking at the 
subject more closely, on resting the facts on 
their true ground, and calculating from acquired 
experience, we arrive at a different conclusion. 
The question should be placed in a very distinct 
form, and in clear and explicit terms. 
M. Baudement is perfectly correct when he 
rejects the stallions of mixed blood, mixed 
breeds of all sorts, accidental animals, and in¬ 
dividuals from all parts, of uncertain origin. 
Nothing, for instance, can justify the simultane¬ 
ous use of the various mixed breeds, raised but 
yesterday, selected from a strange confusion, 
and more or less injured by crossing; which 
they pretend to make use of with advantage, in 
changing the dull and heavy horse into one 
lighter, a better traveller, more energetic, more 
hardy, more capable in every respect. The 
tower of Babe! does not furnish such a specimen 
of confusion. Unthinking practice may commit 
such faults, but when she works in this way 
she acts on her own suggestions, and follows 
the directions of no one. No person has ever 
taught or conceived of such matches, or cross¬ 
ings ; there is neither system nor method in 
them; nothing but profound ignorance, a bor¬ 
rowed and contemptible idea, which leads by 
the shortest, but unfortunately the most certain 
path, to the deterioration of the longest and 
best established breeds. M. Baudement is cor¬ 
rect, for it is not in this way that a breed can 
be fixed; it is by such means that it may be 
degenerated and destroyed. Between such 
means and an intelligent selection, there can be 
no reason for hesitation or uncertainty as to a 
choice. 
But cannot the introduction of new blood 
into the veins of a race, a change in which is 
now imperatively called for, take place in an in¬ 
telligent and reasonable way ?. Has not true 
science useful precepts, profitable lessons, direct 
and well-known routes which shorten distance, 
and conduct with safety to the desired harbor? 
When wants are pressing, a well considered 
and continued selection may be unsuitable; then 
the demands of perfection make it a necessity 
to use despatch. There is at times disadvant¬ 
age and danger in delay, even with the best 
object in view. 
The English, says M. Baudement, have not 
added energy and speed to size and strength in 
the Clydesdale and.Suffolk breed, by means of 
their fine hunters. They have effected it by an 
extensive choice of the producers from the same 
breeds, and by preparing the dams by pre¬ 
liminary crosses with allied ones. M. Baude¬ 
ment is correct; it is not a relation to large 
breeds that we want, and which is in reality re¬ 
quired for production. If we wish to surpass 
horses like those of the Clyde and Suffolk, the 
type which we should fix and establish, is the 
Norfolk, which presents speed and strength 
with energy of temper, as well as shape and 
weight in the greatest perfection. The Norfolk 
trotters are the types for a general model. They 
labor actively, long, and powerfully. As a use¬ 
ful and valuable breed at the present time, it is 
the most perfect. Their capacity is unlimited, 
with a noble form, enduring and firm to the 
fullest extent. The English have only accom¬ 
plished this, by the aid of pure blood; the 
greatest value of which is precisely the pos¬ 
sibility it affords of producing horses for special 
uses, which it has not effected yet, and does not 
know how to. But crossing is of no account in 
their mode of proceeding. This term spoils all 
our attempts at improvement; it is so grossly 
misunderstood, that we wish we could efface it 
from the vocabulary, and forbid its use. “ Some 
persons imagine,” says M. Baudement, “ that 
the capacity of the horse for a certain purpose, 
increases in proportion to the quantity of blood 
he receives, and forget that there is really only 
the difficulty of raising him, that is to say, the 
cost of breeding, which increases in proportion.” 
Nothing is more correct than this observation. 
Such is the effect of crossing. 
This is not the case with a proper and well- 
managed mixture ; from a judicious alternation 
between the products more or less nearly allied, 
of the full blooded stallion and native mare, 
combined with an economical mixture of pure 
blood, and the change being calculated by the 
actual influence of the latter. Different pro¬ 
portions are then obtained, measured with skill, 
according to our wants and the graduated re¬ 
lationship, the proper mixture of advantages 
or properties of blood, and the equally essential 
qualities or advantages of form. Products are 
then obtained of great value, and of extensive 
practical utility; for thus we concentrate on a 
good foundation, well proportioned energies, 
well tempered and united, not relying on the 
quantity of altered blood, but in the proper 
proportion known to be requisite, between blood 
and body, the proportion of the quantity at¬ 
tended to, which is absolutely necessary to a 
horse intended for a certain purpose, and his 
profitable application to such and such labor. 
What increases is not the cost of breeding on 
account of the difficulty of raising, but the in¬ 
trinsic value and real effective utility. 
Between M. Baudement and ourselves it may 
be seen there is no difference of opinion ; like 
him we reject the uninterrupted crossing; the 
continual use of pure blood as a means of adapt¬ 
ing our large breeds to the wants of the age; 
like him we condemn the use of mongrels of all 
kinds in pretended improvements, which de¬ 
teriorate and destroy without compensation; 
like him we accord all the influence to a well 
arranged selection of animals, but we think this 
last means too slow, insufficient, and pointing 
out a well marked course shorter and no less 
certain. The principle and purpose of mixture 
are different from the principles and aim of cros¬ 
sing. We are induced in La France Ckevaline, 
volume 1st, 3d, and 4th, second part, to touch 
upon the distinction, and to place in the double 
points of view of speculation and practice, the 
rules to be followed in all attempts at improving 
our large breeds. We have stated how it must 
be conducted in Brittany, Perche, Boulogne, 
Franche-Oompte, and the other localities where 
the draft horse could by degrees be changed to 
a ti’ot and draft horse. The theory is no longer 
a vague one; it rests on such certain and 
numerous facts, that in future the principle of 
mixing in horses has nothing to fear, it pro¬ 
ceeds with certainty towards its aim, for its 
results deceive no expectations, and occasion no 
loss. Eugene Gayot. 
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A POT-ROSE. 
The following minute and graphic account of 
the treatment of a pot-rose will prove interest¬ 
ing to such of our readers as have had a little 
experience in that line. Roses with us, however, 
flourish, and arc propagated, with much less 
attention and care than was bestowed on the 
one in question. The atmosphere and climate 
of Britain, where it was brought up, are much 
less congenial than ours to this family, so that a 
little allowance must be made for this difference, 
in perusing the article. 
PROPAGATION-EARLY GROWTH-CHANGE OF 
HABITATION. 
A writer of no mean authority has said, 
that whenever an individual speaks of himself, 
we should listen with attention, as we may 
almost invariably gather from his remarks an 
insight into his character and nature. It is 
because I believe in this' opinion, that I am 
about to relate my own history; and if by 
withdrawing the veil, the public, by knowing- 
more of my nature, should think less favor¬ 
ably of me, I shall at least have the satisfac¬ 
tion of having dissipated the fidse reverence 
upheld only by seclusion, and my associates 
may be gainers by the light thus thrown around 
my path. 
Much that occurred in the few first weeks 
of my existence is of course not very vividly 
before me; and lest I should mislead the pub¬ 
lic, it is perhaps better that such should be 
passed over in silence. I, however, distinctly 
remember existing as a short branch, termi¬ 
nated by a flower-bud, in company with other 
branches, on what is termed the parent tree; 
and although deriving sustenance from the 
same root and through the sa-me stem, I had 
a certain sense of my own independence—of 
my capability of becoming a separate individual, 
and being in after-times the main stem whence 
should arise branches like myself. As I heard 
one and another bestow a passing word of praise 
on the freshness, beauty, or fragrance of my 
flower, but reserve the cornble de gloire for the 
plant on which I grew, I longed for the time 
when my master, who was a nurseryman, should 
see fit to detach me from my parent, and place 
me in the state of a cutting, to begin life en¬ 
tirely on my own account. 
Accordingly one morning, just as my flower 
had dropt, I heard with joy, as he gently pres¬ 
sed me between his finger and thumb, that I 
was “ripe enough,” to use his own words, and 
that on the morrow I was to become a cutting. 
As the preparation for the coming event was 
made beneath my own eyes, I shall relate as 
briefly as possible the bare facts,not troubling 
the reader with my hopes, fears, and aspirations, 
as they may be more easily imagined than de¬ 
scribed. First of all was brought into the 
house about a peck of pure yellow loam, chop¬ 
ped fine, but not sifted; it appeared to have 
been the top-spit of an old pasture, cut and 
laid up to dry and air some months previously; 
the next material was about half a peck of de¬ 
cayed leaves, technically called leaf-mould, and 
next about a quarter of a peck of white sand. 
These materials were laid on a flat board and 
thoroughly mixed together, by turning them 
frequently with a small spade, and then pro¬ 
nounced ready for use. I now saw a quantity 
of pots brought in, of the size called large six¬ 
ties, and a boy followed with some broken pots 
