AN ENGLISH VIEW OF BREEDING.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2402, 14 December 1881, Page 3

AN ENGLISH VIEW OF BREEDING.

A correspondent of “ Bell’s Life ” draws attention to the disastrous state of England in an agricultural point of view, and then Buggests a remedy. America can breed just as good horses as England can, and, therefore, will only now and then make on importation from that country. In road horses we surpass the world. In this department, England has a great deal to learn from us. As a change of blood to different soils is desirable, we ehall continue to go to the mother country for thoroughbred stallions and mares, but not in sufficient numbers to make the business profi able, in a general sense, to the English people. Wc have on this side of the water, good racing as well as good trotting strains. With this brief introduction, wo extract liberally from the article in question. “ The United States can send us bullocks for the shambles at about half the cost wo can rear them, and in breadstuff's we are beaten in the same proportion ; but for shorthorn bulls, at 1000 guineas apiece, wo can do agood deal more than hold our own, and all such animals of class can be estimated in the some category. It will be argued that all people cannot produce animals of the first water, but still it can be done, and, as a rule, what one man can do another can, so that it must be worth the trial of many when ordinary farming means certain loss, and breeding choice animals may lead to very considerable profit. My own opinion is that we do not yet reduce breeding sufficiently to a science so as to guide it by actual rules. We breed a great deal by chance, and every now and then we find a breeder in a vein which is called luck, and he carries everything before him, but if that breeder was interrogated he would most likely call it by another name than a vein of luck, and explain to one that it was the result of what had been in his thoughts for many years. Lord Falmouth, I expect, would tell

one that he does not attribute hi* present good fortune on the turf to luok, but that he could showjsigns of a good deal of thought on the particular subject of breeding horaea. But we do not find thi* branch of acienoe taken in the geueral'sense of an accomplishment or an acquirement. We do not hear of experiments in crossing, or absolute facts brought out in that direction from the agricultural colleges, and although we hear of bailiffs and stewards thoroughly skilled in draining, measuring and building, and suchlike, it is not usually put down in tbair accomplishments that they are conversant with the Stud Book, or can breed hunters or prize cattle. They may be able to do so, but it is not the question of importance as to their acquirements, and yet when all farming is considered at the present time, what use is a man who is not thoroughly acquainted with all the principles of breeding ? I would go further to say that the majority of landowners do not concern themselves sufficiently in this direction. There are just a few who will go steadily into it, and then the subject is so enticing and interesting that they become enthusiastic, and usually succeed very well. The breeders of horses of the past used to think, and it is to their attention to the subject that we owe the extraordinary excellence of our horses. Of late years, however, there has not been that personal attention from the mass of our country gentlemen that is so necessary to the wellbeing of high-bred animals, and hence there has not been that due regard to many good old-fashioned rules about country quarters, which were first observed by those whose education taught them to think deeply, and whoso examples were followed by farmers and others. It may now bo a good time for landowners to pay more attention to their home affairs, from whence their incomes are derived, and with rumors of public studs disappearing from the scene, it is to be hoped that an additional number of private studs will soon be heard of, and that noblemen and gentlemen will determine henceforth to breed their own racehorses and their own hunters, on some of those acres perhaps that are likely enough to be upon their hands by reason of the present agricultural distress. It must be also a matter of consideration to farmers of tho day whether horse breeding is not, after all, the most certain means of striking an average of fair profit during a course of years. Breeding cattle largely to rear and keep in stock has been somewhat at a discount since tho cattle disease played such havoc throughout England, and it would be a dangerous enterprise to embark the bulk of one’s capital in, considering tho likelihood of further disease, and the competition in tho market from foreign importation. Sheep are a source of good profit on certain lands which are not, as a rule, suited to either horses or cattle, but disease has reduced the gains from sheep, too, of late years, and certainly as yet the equine tribe have been the least susceptible to complaints that have, doubtless, visited our shores with the whole armies of animals landed from other countries. I expect on the actual score of disease, that the idea I have suggested of going into breeding high-classed animals only, is the safest plan, for although the value is greater, the risk of contagion is very much less. The horse market, apart from all risk of this sort, however, is nob likely to be affected to any great extent by foreign competition. There is a strong prejudice against foreign-bred horses for general purposes, and 1 think it is well founded, as although there are no doubt very good horses bred in America and on the Continent, it must bo remembered that we only get the refuse stock at tho price that it will pay to import them. It will cost at least £4O to bring and get a horse from America, and he is not likely to be tho best that our Transatlantic friends could send us for anything like that figure. Prom the Continent the lookout is worse still, as from residence abroad I know very well that the horses brought up by the omnibus and tram companies are nothing like the quality that could be found to represent the horses both in Prance and Belgium. The small farmers will give £6O apiece for fairish-looking horses suitable for agricultural purposes, but our companies do not give £4O in either country for horses of similar classes, showing a pretty good proof that they do not got the best. There has been a difficulty to find the numbers in England requisite to fill the stalls of large companies, but there has been no question about the quality, as the £4O English horse is decidedly a better animal than the £4O French one, yet no one can make it out a paying game to rear them at that price in any country, and Englishmen should keep in view that their object should not be so much for quantity as quality. They can sell their overplus stock, it is true, as the demand for low priced horses is always greater than the supply, but whereas inferior stock does not pay for rearing, there is no knowing to what value first class quality horses may come to. It does not matter whether it is race horses, hunters, hacks, or cart horses, the object should bo to breed the best, and to do this, as little should be left to chance as possible.”