THE GREAT EXPANSION OP THE '80 's 235 



1881 36, in 1882 43, and in 1883 108. His total im- 

 portations of mares from 1881 to 1890 amounted to 

 319 head. An examination of the Oaklawn Farm in- 

 ventory shows that he had on hand on Jan. 1, 1887, 

 150 mares; on July 1, 1887, 148 mares and 37 more 

 which were out on lease; on Jan. 1, 1888, 156 mares 

 and 39 more out on lease ; on July 1, 1888, 133 mares 

 and 66 more out on lease ; on Jan. 1, 1890, 179 mares 

 and 13 out on lease. More details could be given, 

 but enough has been cited to show the large number 

 of mares kept in the Oaklawn stud. In individual- 

 ity and breeding these mares were of the highest 

 character, as they were imported by Mr. Dunham for 

 his own use; he sought and secured the choicest 

 mares obtainable in France, buying freely from all 

 of the leading breeders and mare owners of the 

 Perche. Breeders still living who were intimately 

 acquainted with the mares assembled at Oaklawn in 

 this period are agreed that no stud in America, and 

 probably none in the world, ever numbered in its 

 ranks so many mares of the best Percheron type 

 and breeding. The 738 Percherons bred at Oaklawn 

 between 1872 and 1900 were produced by 287 dif- 

 ferent dams. This fact, considered with the numbers 

 owned at different dates, is evidence that the rate 

 of increase was slow. 

 X The Brilliajit Blood.— In 1881 Mr. Dunham im- 

 ported Brilliant 1271 (755) and in the same year 

 Leonard Johnson, who was acting as a buyer in 

 France for Mr. Dunham, imported his sire. Brilliant 

 1899 (756). Brilliant 1899 was used but one year on 



