29S 
STATE AGKICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
we would not have taken in one-half of that amount. We 
have got to get money in this way in order to sustain the in¬ 
stitution and make it a success. But really we do not, at our 
fairs, have racing in the legitimate sense of the term. The 
horses go round, and the one making the quickest time gets 
the premium, and if our Illinois friends would adopt this 
plan and allow the exhibition of speed (each horse trotting 
alone) they would succeed better. This is only my opinion. 
Now a few words in regard to breeding. We should have 
a thoroughbred stallion, with trotting action. If you get one 
of this description he will impart himself, even to color, to the 
colts. Out of forty or fifty colts from a stallion owned by my¬ 
self, only three have been of different color. He has simply 
imparted himself. . 
I go for color, largely on bay. I think, it ils best. I get a 
colt with fine trotting action. I do not expect to train them. 
I expect the rich merchants and bankers, and fast young 
men, will want just such a horse, and I expect to sell him to 
them. 
There is another thing in regard to breeding. Those who 
keep stallions do not handle them properly. They pamper 
them and-over feed them, do not give them proper exercise. 
Hence their offspring is not what it should be. Your horse 
should be in the highest state of health. In order to do this 
you must give him plenty of exercise, plenty of light, and 
plenty of air. He should be brought up to a fighting con¬ 
dition almost. Train him as they train a man for boxing. 
I tell you if you want your stallion to do credit to himself you 
must give him muscular development, a heart and lungs in 
perfect health and action, else he can’t impart these to his off¬ 
spring. This is one of the great secrets in good breeding. 
I do not believe that a pampered and grossly kept bull is 
capable of giving the best results. It is not, however, so im¬ 
portant in cattle, inasmuch as they are bred for the purpose 
of being slaughtered. But in the horse these things are of 
first importance, as he is bred for a very different purpose. 
Now in regard to the kind of mares to breed from. Most 
