152 A HISTORY OP THE PEECHERON HORSE 



of four head, whieli marked the beginning of the 

 Dillons' importing career, there came certainly the 

 weightiest stallion that up to that time had entered 

 this country, and quite likely as big as any that has 

 followed him. This was St. Laurent 435, a gray 

 foaled in 1866, and said to have weighed near 2,400 

 pounds. He was loosely put together, and a some- 

 what uncertain getter, but there is no question as to 

 his mastodonic dimensions. 



Recapitulation. — Beginning with the Harris im- 

 portation of 1839 and closing the first era of the im- 

 porting business with the end of 1870, we find a 

 total of 90 stallions and 21 mares definitely recorded 

 as having been brought to these shores from France. 

 It is generally believed that a few animals besides 

 those mentioned here were actually imported within 

 the period described, but the data concerning them 

 and the points of their origin were too indefinite for 

 the compiler of the stud book some forty and more 

 years ago to recognize their claims. At the best 

 they could be but few in number. Some of the early 

 imported stallions of the diligence type bred re- 

 markably true to form, and there is little room to 

 doubt that on removal far from the point of produc- 

 tion some of their sons with age, whitening coat, 

 and growing success in the stud gradually assumed 

 the dignity, by local reputation, of "imported 

 stock. " If a few genuinely imported stallions were 

 overlooked it is no more than must have been ex- 

 pected in the circumstances, but without doubt a 

 place was found for every animal whose history 



