SUPPLY OF HORSES ADAPTED TO THE ENGLISH ARMY. 431 
able by direct purchases to allow the breeders to have a profit 
rather than these dealers.” 
The purchase by regiments is preferable, but each regi¬ 
ment ought only to buy horses from its own immediate 
neighbourhood. The mere presence at a distant fair of 
strangers bent on purchasing raises prices, and if the oppor¬ 
tunity is not favorable a long journey will have been in¬ 
curred to no good purpose. 
The establishment, therefore, of permanent remount 
depots in the most favoured and central districts is advo¬ 
cated, that the officers commissioned to purchase may be in 
contact with the breeders without any intervention of com¬ 
missioners or dealers. It is contemplated that they would 
make purchases for each branch of the service indiscrimi¬ 
nately within their district, although generally each province 
or department will have its peculiar stamp of horse, whether 
suited to the artillery or the cavalry. 
These depots would not only purchase, but handle and 
train the horses, before sorting and apportioning them among 
the different corps. It is expected that, in the breeding dis¬ 
tricts, the supply of forage will be cheap and ample, and that 
the young horse, during his course of training, will be least 
exposed to sickness in his native country. 
It is considered more prudent to appoint a commission 
than to employ for purchase a single agent, who might bear 
a grudge against some particular breeder. 
Purchases might be made at the principal fairs or at the 
breeders’ homes, but a complaint is made that certain breeders 
are not so frank and are more given to imposition than the 
dealers. 
Although the services of a contractor be not specially en¬ 
gaged, horses might sometimes be bought through dealers 
who have a ready access to secluded districts and farmers 
who follow the old routine of sale. 
In every depot there ought to be a register, in which a 
page should be assigned to each breeder in the district, 
wherein to notify the number of horses furnished by him, 
and the arm of the service for which they were intended. 
With due provision and encouragement, it is considered 
that Normandy and Brittany alone might furnish 4000 or 
5000 horses yearly—a large portion of the average supply 
required. 
The French prices for 1851, 1852, and 1853, were as fol¬ 
lows : 
I 
