La Junta tribune., 1908-10-03
FROM FOREIGN CLIMEs
BY r. w. PATTERSON
OUR SPECIAL EUROPEAN coaREspospEx1
Nogent lie Rotrou, France.
September Z, 1908.

mers OF Perche. In the vicinity of
Nogent lie Rotrou, the center of the
great Percheron horse country of
France. This is a beautiful pasture
land. rolling and wooded. with valleys
that quite equal the luxuriant pas
lures of Central Illinois. Here were
first grown the heavy draft horses,
called at first Norman. now Percher-
on. and here still are they grown in
their greatest perfection. This small
country has revolutionized the horse
Industry OF the United States. yet the
territory where these horses are
grown in their purity and greatest
perfection, Is, l should judge, not
larger than Otero county. Owing to
the demand of the American buyers,
than greys, The greys are the pures
and the original Percheron. They
originated by breeding the large
rough mares of Perche to a small,
but very fine Arabian horse. which
was gray. one of the finest types of
the celebrated Arabian steeds. The
richness OF the pasture lands, the
great grain and hay fields. the assid-
uous care of the farmers in handling
their horses. and the well-directed
and wise discretion of the breeders
have made in this beautiful French
land. the home of the greatest breed
of draft horses in the world today.
This little country has not only rev.
oiutionized the horse industry of
the Uuited States and has added un-
told wealth to the farmers Of our own
great country. but its influence is ex-
tending to the whole Of North and
South America.
/ have handled these horses and
have some knowledge of them. Louis
Napoleon was among the very first Of
these horses imported into the Uni
ted States He fell into the hands
of the billions, who removed with him
to Normal, Ill.,. where they created
and were the pioneers in the Norman
horse business In this country, and
built up the great draft horse in
dustry. Louis Napoleon was gray
horse, fine form. excellent action and
. model OF grace and beauty. He
was not a large horse. as horses are
ranked today. for he weighed only l.
500 pounds. He was, however. . very
large horse In those days. To intro
duce the Norman horse into this
country was no easy task, as many
prejudices had to be overcome and
many obstacles removed.
I remember my fathers prejudice
against "the big chunky" horses
His ideal was trotter-a horse that
could go in three minutes on the road
He ridiculed, in every way, the big
lubbers," and adhered to the stylish.
spirited and speedy driving horse
But he lived to see farmer who had
two or three work mares make more
out of these two or three mares than
he did out Of his herd of thirty or
forty head of his ideal drivers.
knew farmers to sell three year old
colt in those days, raised from a
plow mare, for one thousand dollars,
while the little beauties my father
grew brought but from sixty-five to
one hundred dollars as rule. The
draft horse Is what our farmers
should grow. They are beginning
to appreciate this. There is more
money for our farmers In raising
alfalfa and grain to sell or even,
believe, In growing sugar beets. But
good Judgment must be exercised In
handling the mares-not to overwork
them. but handle them as the
Perche farmer does-as II the horse
was member Of his family. An
equally important consideration, and
one that Is absolutely necessary. Is
In order to make larger. well formed,
salable horses, they must be fed
grain from the time they are at the
dams aide, constantly, continually,
and all they will eat. until grown. 1t
will pay. Il
found N. Chouanard. horse deal
er, and Interpreter. who could talk
English, early in the morning, intro
duced myself and told what ! came to
Nogent le Rotrou for; that ! did not
want to buy, simply to see the Per-
cheron horse in his home and meet
the farmer who grows him. He was
Just going out With two American buy
ers. ! NJ. Watson and . Mr.. Kelly.
from Lincoln, Neb.. and. hence. could
sive ne no attention. But he said At
once, "There Il . farmer near who
speA1n Enslish. and who grows Per
cherun hurses. / win call him BY
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