Company of Edinburgh. The names and arms of the above towns are engraved upon the vase. Among the pieces of plate that grace the table are the Orleans Cup, given by his late lamented royal highness, and which was won, 1841, by the Duke's celebrated b. h. Mus, aged; the Mazeppa Plateau, won by Lord George Bentinck's Yorkshire Lady in 1843, and presented by that truly popular and liberal nobleman to the Duke; the Goodwood Cup, 1825, won by Pantomime, ridden by the Hon. F. Berkeley, R.N.; Goodwood Cup, 1833, given by the Earl of Lichfield, steward; the Goodwood Cup, 1826, won by Stumps, the property of the late Earl of Egremont, who presented it to the Duchess; Goodwood Cup, 1827, won by Linkboy; Goodwood Cup, 1836; Egham Cup, 1825, won by Spree ; Southampton Cup, 1826, won by Toil and Trouble. The race-horses are kept not only at the stables belonging to the house, but also at the far-famed dog-kennel where John Kent now resides. It is not my intention to give a detailed account of Goodwood House and its splendid portraits, the works of Rubens, Lely, Vandyke, Lawrence, as I strongly advise every one that finds himself in the locality to go over the house, and which is accessible at all times to the public by merely entering their names in a book kept for the purpose; but I cannot refrain from noticing some sporting pictures that are in the house, or of giving a brief sketch of the palazzo canino, as the dogkennel may be justly called. In the long hall, and upon the staircases are some fine paintings, by Stubbs, of Lord George Lennox (father of the late duke), Charles third duke of Richmond, and Colonel Jones, all on horseback, with dogs and servants; Mary, wife of the third duke, and Lady Louisa Lennox are in another picture, looking at some race-horses; and a third with the Earl of Albemarle, Lord Holland, and others, shooting. There are also portraits, by Wootton, of Sheldon, Grey Cary, Grey Cardigan, Bay Bolton, Red Robin, and Sultan, which were given by Prince Charles of Lorraine to George II. in 1743. The outlying buildings are extremely well arranged; there is a tenniscourt in the kitchen garden, and a kennel supposed to be as fine as any one in the country. The front is handsome, the ground being well raised about it, and turfed. It originally cost £6,000. The third duke of Richmond, who built it, was his own architect, assisted by Mr. Wyatt; his grace dug his own flints, burnt his own lime, and formed the wood-work in his own shops. The length of the building is 148 feet, the depth 30 feet; the height, from the crown of the arches that support it, 18 feet on the sides, in the centre 28 feet. The materials are flints intermixed with light grey bricks. The distribution of the building is into four kennels; two of them 36 by 15, two more 30 by 15; two feeding rooms 28 by 15. In each there are openings at the top for cold air, and stoves to warm the air when too cold. There are supplies of water, and drains. Round the whole building is a pavement 5 feet wide, airing yards, places for breeding, &c., and making part of each wing. For the huntsmen and whippers-in there is a parlour, a kitchen, and sleeping rooms. The kennel, as we have before said, is occupied by Mr. Kent, the Duke's trainer; sincerely do we hope that it may again be converted to its original purpose, for a pack of hounds to the noble owner of Goodwood seems almost indispensable. But I have already exceeded, by a few lines, my usual limit; so, for the present, "farewell,"

SOUND AND UNSOUND HORSES.

BY HARRY HIEOVER.

I am quite aware that I may appear to have chosen a subject that is usually considered as only coming within the province of those professionally educated to write upon, and until I state my motive in doing so, and the limit of my intent, I fear something like presumption may be laid to my charge; but I trust a short explanation will free me from such an accusation.

I in no shape contemplate writing anything in the shape of a treatise on veterinary practice: I merely intend, in stating some of the complaints to which the horse is liable, to follow up the motive that induced me some time since to state his perfections and imperfections, to prevent the inexperienced purchaser rejecting (as is often done) a very serviceable animal merely because he may have some imperfection or ailment that may in no shape militate against his utility; or, on the other hand, purchasing one with certain imperfections in point of shape, or action, some unsoundness that would be likely to render him a constant source of annoyance to his owner.

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The purchaser should bear in mind that very few horses are in every way sound, and with seasoned horses-which are the only ones that we can rely on for real use, figuratively speaking-a positive sound one is not to be got. I shall, therefore, to the best of my judgment, point out where a diminution of price or superior qualities may safely be taken as a set-off against certain failings, or the reverse, beginning with

CONSTITUTION.

Before we can form any accurate judgment of a horse's constitution, it becomes imperatively necessary that we should be most perfectly acquainted with his previous treatment. For although there are, of course, constitutions that are naturally strong, and others the reverse, the horse acquires by treatment an artificial one. The animal that has a naturally weak habit of body will, perhaps, always exhibit symptoms of it more or less, treat him as we may; but by judicious management this natural infirmity may be so improved as to enable him to do all that, in a general way, we could require of him. This judicious management is what brings him into that state we term condition-to do this we must make his constitution our first object of attention, for until that is in a healthy state, all the exercise or training in the world will, of course, be thrown away. The purchaser must, therefore, not be entirely led away by the appearance of the animal at the time of purchase, but must look at that appearance with reference to the way in which he has for a length of time been treated; for there are few that, by rest and plentiful feeding of a peculiar kind, are not to be made tolerably plump in their bodies and fine in their coats. This only shews that by a certain process the animal is to be brought into such a state; but it by no means follows that this appearance will be con

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tinued when he is brought into even moderate work, with such feeding as horses intended for work must get. There are numbers of horses that, with all the hay and oats that could be given them, would never carry flesh or get into condition; for the very (and indeed only) food that renders horses equal to great exertion, will not fatten them half so soon as that which would render them totally unfit for it. If the purchaser is aware that the horse has been brought into selling condition by the latter description of feeding, should he want him for immediate use, he would be wise to reject him at once. If he can spare him for a couple or three months, so as to totally change his habit of body, he may take the chance as to what he may turn out; for it will be but chance after all what he may be when he is in work. It is for this reason I have before so strongly expressed my objection to purchasing fat horses. However lusty a horse may be, we may form a tolerably correct judgment of how he has been fed by his feel; if that is firm and springy to the touch, we may be pretty well satisfied that his food has been wholesome and nutritious; should it feel, on the contrary, soft and flabby, we may be equally certain that he has been oxfed; for though there are horses that, in work, will feel soft do what you will with them, if they are fed on proper food and not worked, their muscle will, in most cases, become firm. Should we, therefore, find a horse lusty, and, at the same time, feeling as he ought, the only conclusion we can come to, to a certainty, is, that proper feeding will make such a horse as fat as any man can wish; but unless we know what has been his work, we can be by no means certain that he will keep up his appearance when we come to use him. It is certainly far better to purchase a horse that has not been worked, but looks well on proper food, than one that has had neither proper food nor proper work ; and in buying the former, we have by many degrees a greater chance of getting one that will keep in condition, than if we purchased the latter; but to be at all certain of getting a good constitutioned horse, we must know he has, at all events, been moderately worked; if with that he looks well, it will be the purchaser's fault if he does not continue to do so. If, on the other hand, we find a horse looking thin, tucked up, and feeling soft in his muscle, he is not to be condemned without ascertaining the cause, if he appears to be in other respects what is wanted. But if it is found he has been fairly worked, and properly kept, we may at once set him down as not worth sixpence; for if proper work and proper treatment will not get him into condition, of course nothing will. By proper treatment, I include work, food, grooming, general stable management, and proper medicine. Should we find the animal has wanted any of these, we must then exercise our judgment as to whether the neglect has been sufficient to account for want of condition, and whether from his general character and appearance we may hope that attention will remedy what neglect has produced. There is an indescribable washy appearance with some horses, that can hardly be mistaken. I need scarcely say such an animal should never be purchased: he will occasion a vast deal of trouble, as much expense as any other horse, and be good for little after all.

Relative to condition, I would strongly recommend a purchaser to be very tenacious of buying old horses out of condition, that are very low in flesh; as with nine out of ten of such, it will take a complete twelve

month to bring them round; for though old horses will do a great deal of work, certainly much more than very young ones, they have not that elasticity (if I may use the term) of constitution that young ones have; besides which, their muscles are more rigid, and take a far longer time to fill up; and this I consider one reason why, when quite up to the mark, they are far less likely to waste by any little additional work than young ones. If an old jockey wants to waste 10 lbs., it occasions him much harder work and deprivation than it would a youth of eighteen. What the former has on him is harder.

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Whenever I got hold of horses out of condition, I never found I could do much good with them in the stable, without alteratives. There was an old-fashioned saying and idea, that there was "nothing like Mr. Green" for poor horses. Allowing this to be right, what was the effect of Mr. Green" but an alterative? And if a horse can be spared, a meadow of very sweet SPRING grass procured, and the horse gets some corn with it, it is no bad preparation for condition. I say corn with it, for this reason that if he has been accustomed to high keep, though poor, he would so much miss this stimulant, that its loss would be felt more than the benefit of the grass; independent of which, the corn renders the flesh we may expect him to throw up firm and of the right sort; nor will the corn be wasted, for when taken up after, we will say, his six weeks' run, he will be forwarder, as to going to work, in six weeks more, than the horse who had nothing but grass in him, would be in three months; so it is no loss of corn, but a great gain of time.

ᎪᏩᎬ .

This is a matter on which the occasional purchaser need not trouble himself much about if he purchases young horses, as he has only to have the age inserted in the warranty, and the veterinarian or any competent judge will decide it. If he purchases one aged, and warranted not more than eight, the same person will be able to determine whether the horse is far beyond the specified age. If the dealer or any one has sold a horse warranted not more than eight or nine, and a proper judge pronounces him eighteen, the onus of proving the correct age is thrown on the seller, for if he cannot prove it, he had no business to give a warranty of it. If you buy on the seller's opinion, it is another affair; but, to quote friend Punch again, I should say don't." Doubtless, there are tricks to be played with horses' mouths. A three years old may be manufactured into a four, and so forth; and an aged horse may be, to common judges, converted into a six years old one. But these tricks are to be detected by other appearances, where those are at variance with the appearance of the mouth. With a colt, reared as cart-colts usually are, we can mostly judge by his general formation as to whether he is two, or three, or four years old. This will not, however, hold equally good with racing-colts, or those forced up as first-class horses are; for they get a precocious appearance, and indeed manner, from the way they are both fed and treated.

It sometimes, though but seldom, happens that a foal is dropped about Michaelmas. It is extremely difficult with such a one, when he comes to be three or four years old, to decide, at particular times of the year, what is his precise age; for, as he will change his teeth at an

unusual time, he may deceive us, so as to be considered younger or older than he really is at such times: it is, however, very rarely that we can have any doubt as to a horse's age till he is seven. When tricks have been resorted to, to make a very young horse appear older than he is—that is, to give him a year-a person, if suspicious of the fact, will, on close investigation of the mouth, perceive where art has been used to imitate nature. We can do this tolerably well, and many are deceived by it; but the hollowing a horse's tooth with an instrument, and colouring it by another, is not nature after all. There is a regularity in the artificial hollow made, that detects it; besides which, the same means that are employed to colour one part of the tooth, will leave traces where they are not wanted; and this an eye accustomed to look at the natural mouth will detect.

To make horses of twelve years old look eight, is not difficult with some; but this must depend upon the general appearance of the animal. It would be much easier to make some horses of twenty years of age appear only eight or nine, than it would be (independent of the mouth) to make a ten years old horse look five; for disguise it as we may, there is a freshness in extreme youth that, once lost, never can be restored. A beautiful woman of forty may be made to pass for thirty; but we cannot make thirty, seventeen. Horses, like the human species, vary considerably in the time when they begin to shew symptoms of age, depending much, of course, on treatment, shape, make, and constitution; but if a horse is in fresh condition, well on his legs, and in good spirits-if all traces of grey hairs over the eyes and on the head have been neatly obliterated by dyeing, all saddlemarks done away with by the same process, his teeth filed and cleaned, even the hollows over his eyes blown out, traces of repeated nailing on the hoofs rasped away, stimulants in the form of medicine applied inwardly, and stimulants by the whip administered outwardly-it is astonishing what may be done in making a very venerable quadruped assume quite a middle-age appearance; not perhaps to the extent that we daily see young gentlemen of seventy transmogrify themselves, but still a pretty fair quantum of deception is to be used with the horse every very old horse can be done something with to juvenilise him more or less. But when a regular plant is to be made as to age with a venerable one, of course a proper subject is chosen for the purpose. That this is to be done requires no further proof than the known fact that horses have been sold from having become old, and have been repurchased by their owners-without being recognised.

I remember once seeing a very dark-coloured chesnut horse, purchased by one among the many scamps attending auctions of horses. This was in Dublin. The horse had two broken knees; the hair, for a considerable space round the small, bare scars left, was perfectly white; he was also very much saddle-marked, and very grey over the eyes from age he was purchased for about twelve pounds. Late in the afternoon the same horse was brought in with his legs soiled, as if just arrived from the country, and resold by auction for twenty-two pounds. This was paying well for lunar-caustic worth a shilling.

But though a variety of tricks may be played with an old horse's teeth, there is very little to be done with his mouth. The fulness and freshness of the gums cannot be restored; and though it is easy to