IMPROVEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL HORSES. 751 
advantage. In the Vale of Gloucester four sturdy horses are 
necessary to plough the tenacious land one pair abreast of 
the most powerful even would probably be found anything 
but economical. Many varieties of the old English horse 
would be adapted to this locality, as well as to parts of 
Somerset and Worcestershire upon the same formation ; and 
by careful selection and proper management in crossing, 
animals of the required size and power might without diffi¬ 
culty be obtained. The Suffolk Punch is in favour with 
many farmers, and undoubtedly possesses the qualifications 
which are indispensable for this heavy agricultural work. 
As the tenacious clays become mitigated by artificial treat¬ 
ment, or natural mixture with the debris of the higher lime¬ 
stone rocks, as well as by warps and drifts, the obstinacy of 
their nature is diminished, and the heaviest horses are no 
longer required for their cultivation. For such improved 
soils, and also for the medium lands upon the oolites of 
Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Dorsetshire, the Clydes¬ 
dale seems particularly adapted. Standing between the 
heaviest and slowest, and the lightest and quickest of draught 
horses, he possesses all the requisites for cultivating the 
mixed soils to be met with in these parts; the freedom of 
action characterising the breed is particularly valuable upon 
the lighter grounds; and the great comparative power of 
draught prevents any undue exertion of muscular energy 
when the breed is used for agricultural operations upon the 
mitigated clays found in connection with the oolites, as the 
Kimmeridge, Forest-marble, and portions of the lias rendered 
workable by cultivation. 
Upon the light lands situated on the chalks, and also upon 
the associated upper oolites, as in Wiltshire for example, and 
in grazing districts of Devonshire, Somersetshire, and Wor- 
'cestershire, where the agricultural work is light in kind, the 
large Clevelands will be employed with advantage; their 
free action rendering them especially fit for cart-work, and 
for harrowing and ploughing the lightest soils, while the 
low price at which really useful animals of this class may be 
obtained when no longer valuable for the carriage is another 
very important point in their favour. It is further worthy 
of remark that, with moderate work, such animals commonly 
improve upon the farm, and consequently increase in value. 
Improvements in the various breeds of agricultural horses 
* lu many instances very large horses are not liked for strong clay lands ; 
the plough requires three or four, and the nature of the soil renders it de¬ 
sirable that they should walk in a line. The moderate-sized horse does 
not, as a matter of course, tread the laud so much. 
