162 BRBEbiNG AND feEARlNG OP 



early history is most entertaining. They are to be 

 found in what is known as the granary of France — 

 in the richest and most fertile part of that most fertile 

 of all countries. They are found throughout the 

 province of Poitou, but more especially in the de- 

 partments of La Vendee and Deux-Sevres. In olden 

 times (they are mentioned in French literature as 

 early as 1016) France was not divided up as now 

 into small farms and plantations, but was owned in 

 large bodies by rich lords and noblemen. These had 

 their tenants by the hundreds, and most of them kept 

 a number of live stock, especially a few mares for 

 farm work, etc. On account of the price of good 

 jacks and the cost of labor, etc., in standing them, 

 it became the custom of the proprietors to provide 

 this for their tenants. Europe was at that time in 

 continual war, and this required vast armies in the 

 field; consumption of agricultural products was enor- 

 mous, the profits of the farm great, but tenants to 

 till it scarce. The tenant, therefore, having a choice, 

 naturally selected the place offering the greatest in- 

 ducements. An important one of these was the 

 breeding animals, and hence among these rich land- 

 lords there was much rivalry as to the merits of their 

 different studs; and being in command of large 

 wealth and abundant leisure, their breeding estab- 

 lishments, even at an early day, reached the highest 

 degree of perfection attainable by the lavish expendi- 

 ture of money and the most careful and scientific 

 breeding. Perhaps this may account for the univer- 

 sally high esteem in which the French Poitou jack is 

 held all over the southern part of the continent of 

 Europe. No jacks are used in the north. This was 



