304 WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
forming a nucleus for such a work. The American trotter is now 
in process of formation, as a distinct family, in much the same 
way that the English runner was many years ago. In trotttng 
breeding, I wish to call attention to a much abused and popularly 
misunderstood term ; it is the word, “ Messenger,” thepiame of a 
horse generally acknowledged to be the patriarch of American 
trotters. 
Messenger, a thoroughbred and a successful runner, was imported 
into New York state in the year 1791, and died on Long Island 
« 
in 1808. It was the misfortune of some of us that he came into 
the world a grey; he ought to have presented a variegated appear¬ 
ance, and given all horse owners a chance. As it is, every ani¬ 
mal that is flea bitten, (having been once grey), and is up to a cer¬ 
tain standard of old age and decrepitude, is dubbed a Messenger. 
Of course there is no such existing thing as a “Messenger.’’ 
What is more, no horse stands on foot to-day that has tasted the 
teat of a daughter of Messenger, or sprung from the loins of a son 
of his. To show you the absurdity of this thing, I will cite the 
breeding of Rysdyk’s Hambletonian, probably the closest living- 
descendant of Messenger, who holds in the getting of trotters 
much the same position that Lexington does in the getting of run¬ 
ners. 
Rysdyk’s Hambletonian, by Abdallah : 
1st dam by Imported Bellfounder. 
2nd dam by Hambletonian (he by Messenger.) 
3rd dam by Messenger. 
Abdallah was by Mambrino, and Mambrino was by Messenger. 
Rysdyk’s Hambletonian was foaled in 1849, is now 24 years old, 
and is three removes from Imported Messenger. 
The mention of the names, Messenger, Abdallah and Hamble¬ 
tonian, calls up a thought of the manner in which the public cre¬ 
dulity is worked upon in the naming of trotting stallions. 
The practice among reputable breeders and owners of thorough¬ 
breds is to give each animal a name that shall determine its indi¬ 
viduality, which shall be peculiar to itself. The practice, or rather 
malpractice among stallion-owning trotting men is to merge the 
individuality of the animal, as far as possible, in that of some 
noted predecessor in blood, either actual or assumed. The result 
