of which have a large, although a very remote cross of the African Barbs of Andalusian breed, a recurrence to the original, undiluted Barb or Arabian blood might be preferable even to breeding from modern thorough-breds, on the principle, before referred to, of having, after many years or centuries of out-crossing, recourse to the original strain of blood, which is often found to "hit," as it is technically termed, when it succeeds highly. It is worthy of remark that some distinguished trotting horses trace to Black Bashaw, who was a pure Barb of Tripoli, and who is said to be a horse of great beauty and power. The Canadians and Normans both show far more similitude of structure and form to the Arab and Barb, than do the modern thorough-bred horses; and that is a strong reason for believing that such a cross might prove successful.
We should like to hear of the experiment being tried, and although we should not care to predict perfect success we should rather anticipate a good than an evil result; we would, however, on no account put a thorough-bred mare to any Eastern horse, nor any very highly bred mare, where a thorough-bred stallion is within reach. Of course the boniest, most compact and strongest Arabs should be selected; an Arab weed of inferior strain is a very poor creature for any purpose, and worst of all from which to breed. From what we have heard of the Nolan Arab, and from the consummate knowledge in horse-flesh of his gallant owner, we should augur as well of him as of any recent importation from the East. We should not be surprised if in future days material improvement in the horse-flesh of the West, where there has been until very recently a great want of thorough blood, may be traced, hereafter, to that horse.
