Middletown transcript., 1874-10-17
ADDRESS
DELIVERED BY
HON. THOMAS F. BAYARD,
At the Opening Of the Agrtcultur-
al Fair at Aliddletown.
fcoNoLuDsD.)

n
A systematic extirpation from th
stud Of every weak or defective animal
coupled with the most jealous care Q
the finest. We are told of the ordeals O
fatigue, exposure and sudden shocks
such rs swimming rivers after long ant
heated rides.to which the young ArsbiaI
colt is subjected. and from which if b
emergcs without apparent injury be j
adopted as "true son of the desert.
and deemed fit to continue his owl
gifts in his progeny.
This refusal to breed from an imper
feet sire or dam is the corner stone o
a superior strain of horses.
A late Parliamentary commission II
England, of which the Earl Of Rose
berry was the chairman. has contrib.
uted some interesting and valuable
facts, from competent and reliable wit.
nesses, as to the great improvement in
the breed of horses in Great Britain.
which is to be attributed almost en-.
tirely to free, unfettered private enter
prise, and indeed all the testimony is
decidedly adverse to governmental inter-
ference, which even 10 France during
the last empire was abandoned.
Admiral Rous. the Nestor Of the
English turf, testified that in 1924
there we're ir Britain but 135 thorough
bred brood mares. aud in 1872, 1862
brood -nsres. besides having supplied
France and Germany, the greater part
of Europe, America and the British
colonies, with their improved stock.
He stated that under their system Of
racing and breeding, the stature Of the
thoroughbred horse has increased in
jEngland. since the year 100. one inch
every 25 years. That in the year 100
she average height Of horse was IL
hands, 3 inches and is now Is hands.
z inches; and moreover that the horses
of to-day can carry twice the weight
allotted in racing $50 years ago. That
even second class race horses can give
whe best Arabiaus five stone eco lbs. }
and beat them from one to twenty
miles. -. 4 .5si aas
The actual experiment Of racing
between the half-bred chargers of the
English officers and the best bred,horses
Of the Arabs has, in almost every case,
reeulted 10 the easy victory OF the
former. ana sg edi iia 10 7il
The attention of the French has only
comparatively lately been drawn to the
turf as means of improving their stock
Of horses, aud when in lS43 they first
sent race horses to England they hardly
found place. ard allowance was made
in weights for all French horses. But
..time at last sets all things even." and
BY few years Of careful breeding .
"Gladiateur" was produced. whose tri-
umphs repeated, abolished all such
allowances" and our English friends
find it hard work to gain prize in
Paris, or keep their British trophies of
the French sideboards.
l remember we'll an American gen.
tleman who has passed nearly half
century in France, told me of theory
there accepted among horsemeu, was
that the closer to the earth horse
cropped the grass the better and denser
bone was formed that be got more
silica and earthly salts into his compost
ton. aroa
Now. know not if this be true, and
it certainly should be no excuse for
scant feeding, but it would encourage
our brethren in Sussex and on the
Eastern Shore. whose herbiage is some-
times thin. to emulate the pasturages of
richer growth, in the production of
finely pred horses.
1t has been often said, and truly, it
costs NO more to keep a good horse
than a poor one. and il may be added
that it costs little more to breed one;
and, compared to the market value Of
the production, there can be no ques-
tion as to which way economy points.
And nowadays, my friends. when .
gentleman in one Of our cities wants .
fine horse, Or pair. and begins to look
about this Peninsula, be will find Il
speak from experience) his choice very
circumscribed, and be will generally.
and | think properly, be advised you
bad better 60 to Kentucky. or to Or
ange county in New York, if you want
a really 6ne horse"
Is it not about time this sort Of thing
should be stopped ; Ard you. gentle
men farMers, you stalwart yeomen Of
the Peninsula. have it in your power
in very short period to change all :
this, and bring it to pass that when we
citymen, whether from New York or t
Baltimore or Philadelphia or Whining I
ton, want fine horse we will know s
just where to 60 to find him, and that will !
be just here where speak, or anywhere 4
along the liHe Of the Delswsfe railroad I
and the roads that lead from it on both G
sides. There is no spot in the Union 8
where the breeding Of ine horses can |
be more easily and pro6tably conducted, !
and l must add. there are few places 9
where good nat;oe born horses are just c
now so scarce. If you we're to compute q
the money that leaves the Peninsula '
every year to pay for horses raised in a
other snd less favored States. ! think 9
you would conclude " are wasteful a
and improvident people. G
l began to say something while U
ago about the effect Of association with O
Eine horses upon the character and rtpne p
Of people This begins very early,
rs ali permanent things do. just as the e
gentle voice Of the mother Of our child q
hood instilling lessons Of 6re-side NOR t
slity. steals into44 44he memory Of the =
world. worn man and influences him in b
rays and at times, that few around +
him, and perhaps not even be. fully q
Il So in the sdncation Of =
,ur boys and girls should ali early in Il
luences upon their imagination and il
character be closely considered. A
John Ruskin has been lately writing p
series Of nobls iSttsrs to the work b