REMOUNT FARMS IN SOUTH AFRICA.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 671, 15 January 1903, Page 16

REMOUNT FARMS IN SOUTH AFRICA.

I The British War Office has experimentally established, under the superintendence of British ! officers, two farms in the Orange River Colony for the breeding of suitable remounts. This is a portion of a sche - e ti»at has been under consideration for some lime. The war proved the difficulty and costliness,' and, to a large extent, the inefficiency, of policy of buying horses all over the world, when there is an unusual demand for the use of mounted troops, and the question of establishing Imperial remount farms, not only in South Af ica, but also in Australia, was mooted long before the close of the campaign. It was believed, however, some time ago that the Transvaal would be selected for the first farms of this nature, as an official statement was made-to the effect that the first paddocks to be set up would be at Busienburg, a townland and farming district midway between Mafeking and Pretoria, a beautiful country where everything grows luxuria tly with the least possible attention. The war taught the military authorities that Australians k ow a few things more than the average army mau about horses, and it is not surprising that the small board of officials who have been arranging the details of he matter have been assisted by several Australian officers, of whom tus “ Pail Mall Gazette” says Captain H. M. Downes of West Australia, was concerned in the biggest live stock establishment in Australia ; and Lieutenant P. Daley, of Sew South Wales, is well known as a great judge at the Royal A ericultural Society’s shows at Sydney. . Upon Lieutenant I aley devolved the duty of arranging details at Rustenburg. Two thousand mares were to be sent to the remount farms, mostb taken from the military remount depots at various South African camps. These mares were to be the best ob ainable, and lor the greater part included Eng liah, Irish, Australian, and the pick of the hardy Boer animals.. They were to be divided in farms of 200 each, but these ten stud farms were to be only the beginning. In all >ts chief features the plan adopted for the carrying out of these establishments was that which has been proved to be satisfactory in Australia. Under good management the experiment shou d prove of great benefit to the War t. ffice, who will be, to a greater extent than has hitherto been the case, independent of hasty and illjudged purchases of horses in the event of sudden emergencies in the future.