190 A HISTORY OF THE PEECHERON HORSE 



delivered annually for the trade about 10,000 five- 

 year-old stallions, selling at from $200 to $300 each." 



On March 22, 1841, the Duke of Montmorency, 

 speaking at a meeting of the municipal council of 

 Chateaudun, said: "For many years stock-breed- 

 ing societies of Switzerland and of different parts 

 of Germany and of upper Normandy have been com- 

 ing into the Perche to buy Percheron stallions and 

 mares." This confirms once again the claim that 

 the Perche has been for generations recognized as 

 the home of a distinct and valuable type. 



In 1844 the general council of Eure-et-Loir voted 

 the sum of $900 to be given by the different com- 

 mittees to the best brood mares, in addition to the 

 sum that previously had been awarded. The many 

 privately-owned stallions serving in the district 

 were inspected, authorized and pensioned by the gov- 

 ernment officials according to their merits in ac- 

 cordance with an edict of Oct. 27, 1847. 



More Pre-Stud Book Records. — ^Resuming now our 

 examination of the official documents in the posses- 

 sion of the Government of France, at the point 

 where the study was temporarily suspended in a pre- 

 ceding chapter (page 101), let us summarize briefly 

 certain facts of historical interest relating to the 

 pre-stud book period. 



The records, from which we quote, supply the 

 names of the leading stallioners of the Perche dur- 

 ing the period when the breed was "modifying 

 itself ' ' in the. direction of greater weight. Such men 

 as Launay of Mauvaisiniere, Langis (Ome), Pelle- 



