, 1883-10-11
Smallest Horses in the World.

We clip the following items from
the Oconomowoc (Wis.l Free Press
regarding the importation of Shot
land and Netland ponies into this
country. and the uses to which they
are put in England which we believe
will he of interest to out readers.
The Mr.. Flowers spoken of as having
charge of the cclebrated"Edgewood'
farm. where these. ponies are bred in
large numbers, is Il brother-in-law
of Mr. MerricE, and an uncle to Mr.
L. r. Flowers, compositor in the
ARGUS Office.
Mr. Me1rick has now on hand "a
Shetland and Nctland ponies. Eight
| of this number were bought in Ken
t1cky, and seven were purchased of a
Mr.. Goodlow, who went to the Shet-
land Islands and selected them him
self The little stallion called Alex
ander was purchased at the Wood
burn, or better known as the AleXan
der farm. situated at Spring Station,
Ky. Forty of the above number of
these ponies We're selected and pur-
chased in the Shetland and Netland
Islands during the early part of this
season. Among this number are three
poI.ies that have taken first and
second premiums among thousands Of
ponies in the Shetland Islands.
Jumbo" one of this last lot of
ponies, attracted tho attention of the
Secretary of the Geological Garden
in London, when Mr.. Flowers came
through that city with his ponies.
Jumbo" is a Netland stallion now
full grown He measures only 81
inches in height, and only weighed
So pounds when in London, thus
making Jumbo" the smallest pony |
ever heard of in the world. In the |
year 1888 there was a Shetland pony, |
called Dundee, shipped from the
Shetland Islands to Edinburgh, Scot |
land, which measured 81 inches in |
height and weighed 1869 pounds. |
In 1853 there was n pony shipped |
from the East Indies to London |
which measured 353 inches in height, |
and weighed 1879 pounds.
ABOUT SHETLAND PONIES.
More than 5000 Shetland ponies
are in constant use in the north of
England coal mines, and about 1,5O0
are used i'll the coal mines in Wales. |
All the Shetland ponies that are
sound, either male or female, and are
not more than 80 inches high, or
under, are worth S75 per head in the
Islands. This is the price
paid by the coal mine corporations of
both England and Wales. But no
ponies are used in these mines unless
they are pure Shetland or Netland
The coal miners say that the pure
shetland pony is always gentle and
true to his work, while all other
kinds of ponies have proven failure
for the same kind of work Mr.
Flowers informed us that all of Mr..
Merrick's ponies, with the exception
of two, We're pure Shetland and Net
land. Mr. Flowers further stated
that two thirds Of the Shetland ponies
into this country are pur-
chased either in England or Scotland,
and that they are mixture of Ice
land, Orkneys and Shetland. They
can be bought either in Liverpool,
Edenborough, or Aberdeen at very
low figures. But very few pure
Shetland ponies can be bought at
any price, either in England or
Scotland
The young foal that Mr.. Merrick
has raised by his Shetland stallion,
and out of his seven mares
purchased of Mr.. Goodlow, consist of
five beautiful little fillies. Three of
this number are spotted black and
white All are as handsome as any
artist could possibly make them.
Mr.. Flowers has given up his trip
to the Shetland Islands for the pres
ent on account of the cyclones at sea
and the unexpected advance of the
insurance on live stock.