THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 1888.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9012, 27 March 1888, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 1888.

A Melbourne telegram has informed us that several agents of the Indian Government are now in that city, sent there to purchase horses for the army, j the maximum price offered being fif-ty pounds. The authorities in Hindostan have long complained that they find it very difficult x> get from Australia the kind of horses they want, though, as they continue to receive supplies from that quarter and periodically send agents to look for them, it is possible there may be some exaggeration in the complaint. Veteran Anglo-Indians, however, who can look back forty years or more, when the Australian horse was prized in India above the imports from any other quarter, are able to speak positively of the decline in toughness and endurance too often to be found in the supply of more recent years. And within the period we mention there has been indeed a change in the Australian horse. Though his predecessor of bygone years was so much valued, there was after all a wish for a somewhat larger steed for the re-mounting of European cavalry regiments, as well as for the service of the artillery. The wish for size is nowfar more easily gratified, but it is found to be accompanied with a deterioration in other respects; for there is abundant reason to believe that on the Australian continent, with certain peculiarities of climate and soil not unlike those of the Arabian peninsula, the equine stock, to be really good, must not exceed a somewhat moderate stature. There is more or less of resemblance'' between the two regions in the possession of a light arid atmosphere, and, in general, a thin sandy soil, and if it would be impossible to raise the standard of the famous Arab to sixteen, or even fifteen hands, without spoiling him, it must be almost, if not exactly in the same degree, as difficult, to effect without sacrifice a similar change in the Australian. The change complained of was brought about by accident. The parent stock in New South Wales came from four quarters—from England, from the Cape, from Valparaiso, and from the Red Sea, whence the second-class Arab was fetched. In due course the squatters behind Sydney developed from the above materials an admirable breed of coursers, racy of the peculiarities of climate and soil. With the gold discoveries, however, matters were metamorphosed. There was a sudden influx of population, and for the eager hands and mouths necessaries of all sorts had to be carted from Melbourne and Sydney to the diggings. Fabulous sums were offered for means of draught, and the studs were speedily broken up under the temptation. At the same time fleets of vessels began to arrive at the ports which had scarcely any intercourse with the outer world before; and among the other merchandise in demand, cargoes of horses, picked up anywhere, were landed. It is therefore easy to understand how the early Australian breed, which had acquired high repute, came to be confused, and in most parts blotted out altogether. With the shipping facilities which have since existed, much excellent English stock has been introduced to restore the quality of the Australian, but it may be that the breeders in omitting to attach due importance to the climatic and other local peculiarities have not exercised sufficient judgment, for the Australian horse, however improved within tho last twenty years, has by

no means the same repute, either in his own colonies or in the Indian market, as was possessed by what is remembered as the old Sydney saddle-horse.

While the climate is torrid in the northern half of the neighbouring Continent, it is semi-tropical in the southern half, as it is also in North New Zealand. But, although our island— the three Southern Australian colonies must be classed under the same climatic head— there is still a great difference in the fact that we have not here their arid, drying atmosphere. Our climate, indeed, has a strong resemblance to the English, except in being much warmer. Our soil, too, yields the same luxuriant, succulent herbage, the absence of which is characteristic of Australia. If that continent has naturally, to a certain extent, some of the horse-breeding peculiarities of Arabia, New Zealand is as evidently marked out for progress in this line on the British model. By the favour of natural circumstances, and by superior skill, England has developed various magnificent breeds of horses, unrivalled for their suitability to the needs of man, and the diverse requirements of civilisation ; and this development is already seen in New Zealand. The splendid coursers bred by our Auckland Stud Company have a world-wide reputation, and the draught horses bred at the colder opposite end of New Zealand have acquired a name like that in the old country, obtained by the stock from which they came. Now what we want to know is why does not the Indian market import horses from New Zealand as well as from Australia 1 or, if it would not look ill-natured to say so, instead of from Australia? We are better able to give them what they want. Englishmen are larger boned than Orientals, and they like large horses. They have always complained that the desired quality and size are not generally combined in the Australian supply, and the fine upstanding chargers, mettled and vigorous, which North New Zealand is able to furnish should, therefore, satisfy their wishes. A shipment does occasionally go from this polony to India, and there was one not long since, but they seemed to be all forwarded from our southern districts, and as these islands extend through thirteen degrees of latitude it is possible that the horses bred in our Southern frosts may not make the best impression on the sultry Indian markets. We may here remark that the Indian import of good-sized and otherwise wellliked horses has been much curtailed by the advance in Central Asia of the Russians, who now buy up the Turcoman and Persian supply. There ought to be an important horse trade with India near at hand for New Zealand, and especially for this end of the colony, and which very likely will admit of being turned to account by our studkeepers, squatters, and fanners.