84 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHERON HORSE 



vided they have been declared suitable for public 

 service. M. Barre, farmer at Maintenon, has just re- 

 ceived a medal from the government in recognition 

 of his great care given to his horses. 



"Nogent-le-Eotrou has four fairs, which attract 

 great gatherings. Many horses are sold there." 



Notice should be taken of the fact that in these 

 original inspections not only had the stallions to be 

 certified before being permitted to serve, but the 

 mares offered for service had also to be approved. 

 This brings us to the presentation of the incon- 

 trovertible proof of the correctness of M. Fardouet's 

 statements already quoted. 



The National Archives in Evidence. — Clearly the 

 original manuscripts in the National Archives at 

 Paris are not to be disputed, and they reveal a story 

 of splendid service rendered to The Perche by the 

 government of France in the days when the horse- 

 loving people of that province were seeking to lay 

 the foundations of an industry that was destined to 

 add millions to the wealth of French and Amer- 

 ican farmers. In these archives the detailed story 

 of the creation of the Percheron horse of heavy 

 draft, so long untold is revealed, and we need 

 not say that it gives us much pleasure thus to be 

 able to clear away misconceptions heretofore handed 

 down, substituting fact for fiction, and authentic 

 records for mere traditions; thus placing underneath 

 the records of the Percheron societies of France and 

 the United States the data that anchors their founda- 

 tions in the bed-rock of an official registration dat- 

 ing back now nearly one hundred years. 



