THE NEW CENTURY DAWNS AUSPICIOUSLY 417 



ber of breeding establishments were founded on the 

 purchases of mares and stallions from Maple Grove. 

 The quality and character of the animals purchased 

 has improved steadily, and the stud today ranks 

 among the leading breeding establishments in the 

 United States. 



Maasdam & Wheeler, Fairfield, la., were ex- 

 tensive dealers and importers from 1901 to 1910. 

 Their breeding operations were subordinate to their 

 other activities, but they were well to the front in 

 the showrings. They exhibited the gray mare 

 Amorita, champion at the International in 1909. 

 They distributed a large number of animals of draf ty 

 type and their sales in the western states were most 

 extensive. 



L. M. Hartley, one of the early draft horse breed- 

 ers in southeastern Iowa, was another breeder who 

 produced a number of Percherons during this period 

 and was also active as a dealer. His horses were 

 characterized by heavy bone and extreme rugged- 

 ness and massiveness. They were very powerful, 

 well-proportioned draft horses, possessing more 

 draftiness than finish. They proved extremely valu- 

 able in increasing the size and bone of the stock 

 they were used upon and a number of the best sires 

 of market horses trace to this stud.. Samson 27328 

 and Tavemier 35719, whose dam was a daughter 

 of Samson, were the leading stallions used. Both 

 were prepotent. Samson was sired by Martigny 

 2528 (1271), a gray stallion imported in 1883 by Mr. 

 Dunham and sold to Mr. Hartley in 1884. Martigny 



