PRICE SIX CENTS, 
$*J.50 PER VKAlt.1 
[Entered according to Act of Couki-mm, in tho year 1877, by tho Knral rublinhiny Company, in t&o office of tho Librarian of Cod^cbs 
at Washington.] 
ovory spring, in numbers proportioned to tho re¬ 
quirements of tho different circuits. Exhibitions 
are hold ovory yoar at tho mating institutions, 
and prizes awarded for the host horses begotteu 
from stallions furnished by the government. 
The groat nobles, also, both from personal 
taste and pride, aa well as from patriotic motives, 
aro, most of them, zealous in their efforts to im¬ 
prove tho brood of an animal at once so essen¬ 
tial to tho prosperity of tho country and their 
own convenience and pomp in times of peace, and 
so indispensable to the success of military move¬ 
ments during war. 
Of thoso dignitaries no one has acquired a jus- 
tor or tnoro extensive celebrity than Count 
Orloff, whoso name designates the best breed 
both of saddle and harness horsos in tho entire 
empire. Of late years frequent ruforenco to Or- 
loff trotters have appeared in papers throughout 
this country hut, although their form, speed and 
endurance have been often commented upon, 
hut little lias been said of the origin and develop¬ 
ment of this remarkable equine race. 
Just a century ago, in 1777 tho progenotor of 
all the horses of this namo was imported Into 
Russia by Orloff-Tehesmensky, a distinguished 
general of thoso days, but who would long since 
have been forgotton wore it not for the brilliant 
success that rewarded his endeavors to produce 
a superior breed of horses. 
His good fortune in this respect was mainly 
duo to the acquisition of what Russians boast to 
havo been tho most perfect Arab liorse that was 
ever takon from Arabia. It was a ptire-hlood 
stallion named Smctanka, and is said to have 
boon distinguished by tho singular peculiarity of 
possessing an extra pair of ribs—a feature, how¬ 
ever, which has not been transmitted to his de¬ 
scendants. Tho Count employed Danish and 
Dutch ttiuroH, anti during a long life devoted 
great care to tho selection of the beat animals 
for breeding purposes. One iff tho moat famous 
of the early stallions was a horse named Bar I., 
the offspring of a Dutch mare and Folkan, a son 
of ftmetanka. It was not until the appearance 
of this animat that tho Count felt satisfied with 
tho results of his labors, and no animal is admit¬ 
ted to be a true Orloff, unless lie can prove a 
direct descent from tho extra-ribbed Arabian, 
through tins his illustrious grandson. 
After the death of the Count, tho Government, 
in 1815, bought his stud at Khronovaya. This 
oonsisted of two departments—that of Orloff 
saddle horses, including!) stallions and 112 brood 
mares; and that of Orloff trotters, 21 stallions 
and 194 brood mares. Now it embraces 24 stal¬ 
lions and 240 mares. During tho first tweuty- 
flve years nearly one thousand Btallions were 
sold from it to private stud-owners, generally at 
prions considerably less than their actual worth, 
the objuot iu view being the encouragement of 
improvements among tho common run of horses 
by crossing tho mares with stallions of this su¬ 
perior race. Tins Judicious policy has been 
highly successful, and has groxtly enhanced the 
valuo of the thirty million horses the last census 
shows to lie now contained in the Empire, Here 
breeders can expect no such governmental aid. 
The problem Orloff set before himself at the 
outset was the production of a horse resembling 
the Arab in structure, but much more massive— 
an ideal serviceable horse—strong, yet shapely, 
powerful without heaviness, enduring yet ex¬ 
tremely fleet. This problem he solved satisfac¬ 
torily, and subsequent attention has hMU further 
improved upon the results of his labors. 
Tho accompanying illustration represents Ne- 
pristoupny, a celebrated member of the Orloff 
family, belonging to the sixth generation from 
Bmotanka, and an excellent specimen of the 
excellencies of the breed. 
ORLOFF TROTTERS. 
The geographical position of Russia, the long 
distances often intervening between tbe nearest 
settlements and homesteads; the scarcity of 
railroads and Dio consequent necessity of travel 
and transportation by means of horses, combined 
with the fostering care of tbe government, and 
the stimulating influence of tho nobility have 
made that empire to-day Die possessor of prob¬ 
ably fully as many good harness and saddle hor¬ 
ses as any country in the world. Among no 
other people docs tho administration take so 
great an interest in improving the various equine 
breeds, and nowhere elso has a more efficient 
system of accomplishing this end been brought 
into practice. The entire country is divided iuto 
three vast horse districts in each of which there 
is a sufficiency of depots for mating purposes, 
amply supplied with stallions of various approved 
strains. To these governmental stables any one 
can send his mare on tbo payment of a small fee. 
For the greater convenience of poor and remote 
rural populations, stallions are also Bent round, 
/ 
