Hie Agricultural Features of the Paris Exhibition. 257 
little similarity to the light, lively Arab ; but great as the trans- 
formation has been, it is attributed by most authorities entirely 
to change of soil, climate, and treatment, and not in any degree 
to infusion of strange blood. The old county of Perche, lying 
in the south of Xormandv, may be called the cradle of the breed 
in France. It is devoted chiefly to the rearing of Percheron 
horses, the colts, as a rule, being sold, and the fillies retained. 
These colts are emploved at agricultural work till three, four, or 
five vears old, and afterwards the majoritv of them find their wa\- 
into Paris, and other large towns, where they are used at omnibus 
and similar work. They usually pass through two or three hands 
between La Perche and the towns, the selling price in the breed- 
ing districts ranging from 10/. to 30/., and when maturity has 
been reached, from 40/. to GO/. The breed is thoroughlv well 
defined — handsome and valuable : and France has good reason 
for the pride which she evinces in it. The prevailing colour is 
grey, but sometimes black is seen; the height is about 15 or 
16 hands : the head sometimes heavy and sometimes fine ; the fore- 
head broad ; the nostrils wide ; the eyes bright and intelligent ; 
the neck short and well turned ; the mane full and long ; the body, 
back to the last rib, well built and handsome ; but the hind- 
quarters and thighs are deficient, and the tail is low set. The 
shoulders are strong and well sloped ; the back is short ; from 
the hooks there is a quick droop ; the bone is light and too 
round ; the muscular development good ; the feet neat and hardv, 
and bare of hair : and the action true and livelv. In England or 
Scotland thev would be called " light-legged " farm-horses. Thev 
are lighter in the body — indeed lighter altogether — than the 
Suffolk horses of England ; but they resemble that breed more 
closely than either the Shires or Clydesdales. They are, perhaps, 
the fastest breed of draught horses existing ; and for light farm- 
work, and for running in omnibuses and light waggons, as well 
as for heavy army-services, they have doubtless f f w equals. With 
a moderately heavy load they can pace along at a wnnderful rate, 
exhibiting great endurance and steady draught. For heavy cart- 
ing, however, and for heavy lorries, and such work, they fall 
far short of the qualifications of the Shires of England and the 
Clydesdales of Scotland, and are also inferior to the Suffolks of 
England. It is contended in France that no draught-breed 
oi horses can nearly equal the Percheron ; but, if correct in any 
degree, that assertion is true only in regard to the lighter varieties 
of work. At the harrows, or plough, on the farm, or in an omni- 
bus or a baker's van in the town, the Shires or Clydesdales could 
not be compared to them ; but at heavy pulling, and sustaining 
great weights, these larger British breeds have more than a cor- 
responding advantage in their favour. In Paris, and elsewhere 
VOI, XV.— S. S. B 
