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ENFORCED BREEDING IN OLDEN TIMES TIMESTh Th dearth of horses in England due to tho de ¬ mands of the war and an Inevitable consequences of the limitation of racing has set some interested writers to delving Into the methods adopted for deal ¬ ing with a similar condition in the distant past On has come across the provisions made in the time of Henry VIII when the falling off in the breeding of horse was so pronounced that legislation was im ¬ peratively demanded to arrJst it The preamble of the act referred to while deploring the fact pro ¬ ceeds thus thusThe The grett decay of the generation and breeding of good and swift and strong horses which here ¬ tofore have been bred in this Realnio to the great defense profitiind common commoditie of the same and now rcmeinberlng the like breed of horses is sorely diminished and decayed The act of 1537 itself provides as follows followsThe The Kings Highness with Lord Spiritual and Temporall and the Commons in this present Parlia ¬ ment assembled and by the authority of the same hath ordained enacted and established that every person and persons as well as spiritual and tem pnrall of what estate degree or condition soever he fir they be which at this present time or at any time hereafter shall have any Parko or ground enclosed with a hedge ditch wall or pale wherein any deere or at any time hereafter shall have any Parke or grounds so enclosed wherein any deore is or shall be usually kept for game containing tho quantity oouc mile in compass compassThat That every such owner of such Parkc or ground being his own land and every farmer of such Parke or ground being letten to Farme from the 1st Day of May in the year of our Lord 1537 shall keep for every such Parke or ground being enclosed as afore ¬ said two mares not spaled apt and able to beare foals each of them to the altitude or height of thirteen handsfulls at the least upon paine of forfeiture of 40 shillings for every month lacking the said mares contrary to this act Toronto Globe
