EVOLUTION FROM WITHIN 103 



ple-gray horses in matched couples and threes were 

 until very recent years a familiar sight. 



Passing of the Diligence Tjrpe. — But even before 

 the railways came, under the influence of the service 

 of the large approved stallions we have mentioned 

 the breed was becoming more drafty, a fact which 

 called forth some protest, as is evidenced by a report 

 made at a meeting of the Agricultural Society of 

 Mans, on Feb. 5, 1845, from which we quote: 



"It is an incontestable fact that the stallion shows 

 of this department (Sarthe) have produced satis- 

 factory results. But, really, what do we want today ? 

 Light, vigorous draft horses for our artillery, mail 

 coaches and diligences, the number of which has 

 been doubled since twenty years ago. We need 

 horses capable of doing about 7 to 10 miles an hour, 

 at least, in harness. Shall we obtain these results 

 with heavy horses, only suitable for heavy draft 

 work and large exploitations?" 



The Beauce was asking for larger horses to do the 

 plowing and to prepare the land for the wheat crop. 

 This region is contiguous to The Perche, and is called 

 the "granary of France." The growing population 

 of Paris, which has always taken most of the Beauce 

 wheat, compelled more modern methods of culture 

 on the part of the grain-growing farmers of that fer- 

 tile region. Oxen were gradually being discarded 

 and heavy horses were being used in greater numbers 

 throughout all France. The call upon The Perche 

 for material of this sort was not only persistent but 

 it came from many different districts. 



Some Conclusions. — The more profoundly one 



