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WARS EFFECT ON BELGIAN BREEDING. Since the early weeks of the war, when news as to the doings of the Commas in the Belgian agricultural districts was relatively abundant, little-has baaa heard of the state of the horse breeding industry in that unfortunate country. We have been left to conjecture how such an enemy would treat ■ thriving industry, and unhappily conjecture based on the subsequent behavior of the Germans proves to have been well founded. According to reliable information which has been collected by the agricultural relief of Allies committee---of which his majesty the king is patron and the Duke of Portland president — the Germans have done their Ix-st. after having transferred much valuable stock to Germany, to extinguish, horse breeding in the territory now occupied by them. In August, 1914. horse breeders suffered heavily from requisitioning, and the military activity in the eastern provin e~- made it practically impossible for them to escape. Some few did succeed in crossing tin- Dutch frontier, while others made their wr.y towards France witli varying success. As the Germans advanced, their demands upon local stables became larger, nnd were carried out with increasing hardship to the owners. The district of Kghczee was completely cleared of its horses, while the same thing happened in the Borinage and in the district of Thuin as well. This latter region formerly held an important position among localities famous for the production of draught horses. It is on record that Mr. Tirtiatix, of St. Gerard, the former owner of Rurgoyne, which was a few years ago the champion stallion at the Brussels show, fell dead when his best mare was taken away, and it is not difficult to imagine that similar tragedies were frequent in a country where the sense of companionship lietween man and horse-was almost as strong as it is in England. The German, on the other hand, knows little or nothing of such a feeling of comradeship. The famous stable of Huart was completely emptied with the exception of one stallion — Val dOr, the well-known son of Indigene du Fosteau. Some of the most successful breeders of Thuin were fortunate in making good their escape with their stock, nnd many mares from this region are now at Chantilly, near Paris. These include the greater part of the Fosteau stable Durot-Haz-ards. comprising Kleber and Sergent du Fosteau. Practically the whole- of the goods and chattels of the village had been loaded on carts and. drawn by valuable horses, fled in the direction of France. Cnfortunately. some of the carts turned back after a few days and were picked up by the Germans, amongst them the famous four. Helena. Gisele. Hi-rondelle and Gazette du Fosteau. These were among the most famous of Belgian draught horses, having -.■•cured many championships. A number of owners left the heavy mares in the ■tables, imagining that the Germans would not require them. Rut they were mistaken, for these pedigree animals were selected ae-cording to indications of the type which could be profitably used by German merchants, and loaded on the train for Germany, where they were sold by auction. One example of how the Germans "pun-hased" the horses they required comes from Courtral, where a farme-rs two horses were taken and tin- owner solemnly given four francs and a receipt for two fat rabbits: From time to time the army of occupation orders a new requisition of horses, including breeding horses, and in passing it is of interest to state that in the districts under military control, mares must not lie mated without a permit from the Kommandanttir. This in itself is practically sufficient to put a stop to horse breeding a ■; an industry. It will be seen that the Belgian horse breeders will have a difficult task at the end of the war when they set about re-establishing the industry. It is hoped that the Agricultural Relief and Allies Committee will Ik- in a position to afford material help in reconstituting even the nucleus which will serve to bring about a resumption of horse breeding in those districts where it was formerly locateel, but it must take years before breeders are in the same strong condition as they were lH-fore the war. The committee confidently look to the support of English breeders on whom — but for our favorable geographical position — might have fallen tiie sufferings which the agriculturists of our Allies have borne. — London Sporting Life.
