542 
OYER AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
mare, and often produces abortion. When the farmer is 
breeding largely, it will be well not to put all his mares to 
the horse just at the same time, but to arrange so that they 
may be a month or six weeks between the dates of foaling. 
By this plan he will be able to go on with his field work, and 
not be inconvenienced by having his mares idle all at once. 
Mares with foals on them should take the horse on the ninth 
day after foaling, and, as a general rule, they will hold to the 
horse from the first service. Barren mares should be put to 
the horse early in April, and fed upon light cooling diet,*as 
there is often much difficulty in getting them to hold, if 
they are of mature age and in high condition. In all cases 
it is highly important that the mare, immediately after having 
taken the horse, should be placed in a box where no other 
horses can be seen or even heard by her, and every means 
should be adopted to keep her quiet and undisturbed for a 
couple of days. In the back end of the year it will be time 
to wean the colts, and care and attention should be directed 
to them; a liberal quantity of good and succulent food 
allowed, care being especially taken that the loss of the dam’s 
milk be compensated for, and that the young animal is not 
allowed to lose condition. On this fact, at this time, very 
much of the future excellence of the animal, and the conse¬ 
quent profit or loss to the breeder, depends. These remarks 
will apply equally to all classes and breeds. They should be 
taken into large boxes, and the fillies separated from the colts, 
be haltered quietly, and gently treated, and accustomed to be 
tied up and handled. No violence or force should be used, 
and the young and innocent animal taught to have confidence 
in man, and regard him as a friend rather than an enemy. 
It entirely depends on early treatment whether the horse 
remains gentle or becomes vicious. At this time he should 
be carefully inspected, and every tendency to defect should 
be attended to under the direction of a skilful veterinary 
surgeon. All colts should be completely handled and do¬ 
mesticated before they are two years old, and the cart colt 
may then take his place (at two years old) at light work on 
the farm, and ever afterwards, by his services, earn the cost 
of his keep. At four years old he should be sold to give 
place to the younger ones. As a general rule, the best time 
for castration will be when he is a year old, say, in the month 
of April, so that he may recover from the operation, and be 
turned out early in May. 
The Chairman said he felt under great obligation to Mr. 
Ellis for his excellent lecture. There were some things the 
lecturer had mentioned which it was doubtful if it would be 
