1 Junr, 1900.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 483 
The first thing noticeable, then, in horses of both sexes introduced in India, 
is that there ensues at once an attack on and permanent reduction of the 
sexual or procreative powers. A. fact so well known and important should 
require no comment. It accounts for all that followsin India. What, then, is 
the cause of the results ? What is it that has wrecked in India the attempt so 
none and urgently made to breed troop horses of substance, stamina, and good 
egs P 
There can be no doubt that it is the unsuitability of the climate which 
affects, not only horses alone, but extends also to the human race, dogs, and. 
other animals in India. ‘hat horses in India have been somewhat improved by 
selection and the use of picked sires must be granted, but the proceeding is a 
costly one, and the climate is always undoing what man has temporarily 
improved. In the words of Mr. Curr, the production of good horses in India is 
an impossibility—as well try to grow grapes in Grecnland. In support of this 
statement ib must be remembered that the most vigorously constituted and 
longest lived saddle horses are found in dry climates, as the Arab, the Barb, 
and the Persian; and that the horses of moist climates, especially if hot, are 
ever of poor quality. Taking these facts into consideration, it will be admitted 
that the Australian breeder of horses may safely conclude that the production 
ot horses for army purposes in India must eventually fall to him; and it is 
certainly good news to the Australian horse-breeder to hear, from so high an 
authority as Major-General Hutton, that nearly all-the European military 
powers are in want of cavalry, artillery, and transport horses. These, to the 
number of 30,797 head per aunum, at the handsome figure mentioned by the 
major-general, of £75 sterling per head, amount to the enormous sum of 
£2,309,775 sterling. 
Surely this is the best news that the Australian farmer has heard for 
some time. Considering the great importance of the subject, not only to the 
occupier of the lands of this colony but to the entire community, [ would 
strongly commend to the notice of the Hon. the Minister for Mines and 
Agriculture the desirableness of calling together the leading horse-breeders 
in this colony in conference to discuss this important subject. I am satisfied 
that this course would be productive of great good. The director of army 
remounts for India, in the report submitted by him after his return to India from 
Australia, mentions that in certain districts in Australia thoroughbred stock with 
large bone, and promising in every respect as sires for Indian horse-breeding, were 
obtainable. In reply to circulars sent to the leading breeders in this colony by 
the Indian Government, the following is the reply from W. J. Dangar, Esq., 
Neotsfield, Singleton :— ‘I shall have much pleasure in doing what I can for 
you in informing the breeders of your requirements. _I must, however, say, at 
the outset, that there are very few breeders who breed the description of horse 
you require, and who would care to export them for the money—viz., 2,500 
rupees each. We are in quest of the same kind of horse ourselves The 
stallions mostly used are those that have been on the turf. The 
good ones fit to breed from are worth £500 to £1,000, and those which might 
be got at your figure would not be the sort you require, nor indeed would it be 
judicious to bree'l from them, being mostly light in the leg without substance. 
Your best place to get horses at all would be to get them here. No one would - 
send horses to Calcutta to be approved of on inspection by yourself or deputy, 
especially, as I said before, as. they can get more here for such stallions as you 
describe, and which are very hard to obtain.” 
With a view to ascertaining the extent of the trade carried on between 
India and Australia in horses, I placed myself in communication with the Chief 
Inspectors of Stock of the four principal colonies—New South Wales, Victoria, 
South Australia, and Queensland—with the following results, for which I tender 
my sincere thanks for their prompt and courteous replies. 
