THE PERCHERON 107 



these two, others were brought over for John J. Parker of West 

 Chester and Edward Shippen of Meadville. In 1856 Jordan and 

 Martin, of Woodstock, Ohio, imported a staUion named Rolhn, 

 which was not long after sold to go to Illinois. 



Numerous importations followed the above. In 1866 W. T. 

 Walters, of Baltimore, Maryland, brought over several mares and 

 stallions, he being the first person to establish an important 

 breeding stud in America. Mr. Walters had lived in France and 

 had studied the breed there, and so was able to buy to advan- 

 tage. In 1870 M. W. Dunham, of Wayne, Illinois, and in 1874 

 William Singmaster, of Keota, Iowa, began breeding and import- 

 ing. They both became famous Percheron authorities, and the 

 studs founded by them are still in existence. Besides these the 

 Stubblefields of Bloomington, Ellis Dillon of Normal, and Ezra 

 Stetson of Neponset, Illinois, and the FulHngtons of Ohio were 

 early breeders and importers. 



The distribution of the Percheron in America is widespread. 

 Weld estimates that in 1 866 there were fully five thousand Per- 

 cherons in this country, but no doubt many of these were 

 French drafts of other breeds. The leading breeders and im- 

 porters have seemed to center about Illinois, Ohio, Iowa, and 

 Michigan, with small studs scattered all over the country, but 

 notably in the Mississippi Valley. Between 185 1 and 1883 

 nearly four thousand Percherons were imported or bred in the 

 United States of which a more or less correct record is kept. 

 These were widely distributed, Illinois having 1834; Ohio, 

 Indiana, and Michigan 577 ; Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota 

 424 ; New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey 280 ; and Mis- 

 souri, Kansas, and Nebraska 186. In the early eighties many 

 were brought over, 2600 being reported as imported or home- 

 bred in 188 1, 1882, and 1883. In 1884 more than two thousand 

 of all ages were brought to America from France. At the pres- 

 ent time (1906) importations are quite active, and considerable 

 shipments of stallions are being made to states in the Northwest 

 and on the Pacific slope. In Canada horses of this breed are in 

 use, but not on so extensive a scale as the British draft breeds. 



Cross-bred or grade Percherons are very common in America. 

 In fact the number of pure-bred registered mares is comparatively 



