Lord Wolseley on Physical Training.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2993, 3 September 1888, Page 2

Lord Wolseley on Physical Training.

Speaking recently at the United 1 Service Institution, Loudon, Lord Wolseley advocated a sound system 1 of practical physical training, He could; not help thinking- that any nation ,\vhich for three or four generations attempted a. .systom~of*univereal military so;;vice : 'wa's bound at', the end of that time-'tOßhow [a.far finer race of people than, wiis a liation -ia which such a systeia'did notj eaiist. If. they'went' to'iManchlst'er,i(ljeeds, and otKer : larg(! towns, thoy'.would see men,'.women, and.boyscoming i'out\of the factories': wlio: wero' miserable specinieM and tlicy < were'going they had a healtliy and strong people from whom to. iocruit their .soldiers they could not haye'an efficient army, aiid on the/.effioiencyof tho aimy really dopendei|ttie;"9afety-of this country. lie 1 had-no-wish'to^enter into a disquisition,as to; tho .dangers to this eountVy from iuvaaion.' Tliat England had ihimunit.y froni invasion by the Channel was- against the opinions of.some of 'tlid" greatest soldiei s tbCcountry had produced. They also had the opinion of Napoleon 1, on the. subject, 'and at the present moment there Vas a general concensus of opinion thai this country. , could and might bo invaded,,;:;; It had [ recently been 'stated .that was I impossible to invade this country, arid that it would take a fleet of • 180,000 tons to Carry 100,000 uion • to these shores. Tlie .gelitlehian. wJio> . made that statement had been-'mislcd iin a most discreditable way. He : believed there was enough shipping , in the ports of France at this moment ' to carry over 100,000 men in any day i of the year without any preparation 1 at all.

The Shire Horse.

Woaro naked to give a brief description of this breed, which is now becoming bo deservedly popular in iilmost all parts of the country. During the lust five or six years exhibitions have been held at the Agricultural Hall in London for Shire cart horses, under the auspices of the Society, which numbers ovor 1,000 members, and it is probably correct to say that the meeting was the hiost popular.horse show, of the year, l'wo years ago the champion of (he. show; was sold; for IjBOO. guineas, and the year before that the champion realised 1,000 guineas; sums of froui 300 to 1,000 being common; This'is saying a. great deal for the energy and pluck with vhich Biiiisb breeders are entering upon their new Career in tho production : of horses of high class, In Scotland- ; tlie leading pure Ibreed. is called the' Clydesdale', aud tjiese'- are; believed : to liaVe ;bpeii improved, and, in fact, almost maiiu r taotured, theaid.pf.croaspsfrpm the En'slish horsed,lfc,has : .:been; stated that the Euglish cart hprsoisdescended froma race of powerful animals which .were used ceuturies"; ago; by kniqhtb'wlio required'- ' very' heavy .weiglitcart'iera to bcnvtiiem andtheirai'iuour. into battle, aiid'we'lmvobecir informed that ; there is a race. of pure shires in Derbyshire which have bsen bred from a mare left by the army of the Pretender during the last century; The Shire is the largest English cart horse which is known; the majorityof tho best horses are bred in Lincolnshire and-its vicinity. Buyers come from all parts of-the world to this district, which supplies stud animals both for the production of agricultural and dray horses. There is liitle differonco between the Scotch and the English horse when animals of a good typo are compared. Scotchmen declare that the Shire has thohrger barrel, that he eats more, and is not so brisk at his work. . He is supposed to be less jaunty, loss elastic ,on his • legs, and to possess shorter ■ pasterns and quarters. Ths Shiro is usually 1 bay or brown, but lie is frequently 1 found black and sometimes chestnut 1 in colour. Ho averages from 1G to

17 hands ill height, has a prominent dark bright eye, groat width of nostril and au arched nose; a clear.,' well, made,' medium-sized head and face, a good disposition, and plenty of energy and vigor, The neck is arched, but not teo much so; it is thick and slightly short; the body is compact, and neither long or short, but straight and extremely broad, Tho hind quarters aro tolerably stjnare, as if drooping, they lack strength and symmetrical proportion. Tho barrel or body is well rounded with clean, well arched ribs—and this is most important in front of tho heart, where tho girth should bo gi'eat, .giving depth to.the body; thero is great dopth and breadth of chest, plenty of development in the second thigh; the legs are straight, the bone powerful, and tho joints clean and well formed; the muscles being extremely well developed. The Shire horse has a large quantity of hair at the back of the legs; this is supposed to indicato high breeding, especially if it.is fine,in quality, This is a debatable point. The Clydesdale breeders prefer less hair,, and the Suffolk

breeders, who have a special variety, of tlioir own-r-tho chestnut' punch - prefer no hair at all. The feet should be cleanly, made, ot medium size and sliapo, with good frogs, broad hocks, aiid pasterns of moderato size. We beliovo this is more correct than, the short pastern, which is getting too short according to tho fashion, The Sliiro horse is a fast walker, and can draw an extremely heavy load at a good pace, It : is undoubtedly the best horso for the farm 'or. the dray, It isbred,toa great _pitch of perfection, .wd; there can be little doubt, that unless it bo the quantity of hair that it carries on its legs sometimes called feather, tliefp is. np debatable point as to its characteristics. The shire horse really, is a pure-bred English cart horso.— Post,