OVER AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
543 
well for farmers to attend to, he referred to racing and hunt¬ 
ing. (Laughter.) Mr. Dutton then referred to the sensible 
observations of the lecturer in regard to the importance of 
sound sires, and remarked on several instances under his own 
observation of horses of defective sight, and with other 
organic defects, which were invariably found to attach to 
their progeny, and requested information as to whether it 
was not of equal importance to have the dam free from 
hereditary defect as the sire. 
Mr. Ellis, in reply, said it was quite important to have a 
sound mare as well as sire, only it must be borne in mind 
that the mare could only have one foal in a year, whereas 
the horse could get a large number. 
Mr. J. Slater said the lecture had been characterised by the 
greatest discretion he had ever heard; it quite coincided with 
his previous opinion. As regarded race-horses, it was quite 
a delusion to say it was for the good of the country to breed 
them. Hunting he considered scarcely a rational amuse¬ 
ment. He believed the best thing for the farmer was to 
breed cart horses, but he should like to know from the lec¬ 
turer where the good horse was to be found, as many needed 
information on this point. He was glad to hear the remarks 
of the lecturer on the breaking in of colts. A man that could 
not do without a whip was not fit to break a horse, and he 
hoped all would remember the remarks made on this 
subject. 
Mr. Ellis said, in reply to the question, Where is the sound 
cart horse with good constitution to be found? he would 
recommend the members of that society to buy one. He 
said that, in Oxfordshire, when a horse becomes nearly worn 
out he is sold away, and comes into other districts with 
disease fully developed, which he at once propagates, and it 
becomes hereditary. A careful selection could be made, and 
in time an improvement would take place. ? 
Mr. P. A. Wood said that humours and hereditary diseases 
were the result of bad management; often by improper 
feeding by servants when the horses were taken up in the 
autumn. This induced disease which became fixed, and the 
mare then became unfit for hard work, and was put to breed 
off; the disease was propagated, and this produced the sort 
of stock described. 
Mr. Bolshaw , on being called upon, said the lecturer had 
spoken with such propriety, and had so well explained the 
subjects on which he had treated, that little more could be 
added. 
Mr. Rigby spoke on the bad effects he had observed from 
