Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1883-06-14
The II Eagle
MoRsE-sREeDiMe ON FARMS.

It's easy 70 make mistakes. lndecd,
il 10 80 eaey chat very often the rare
occasions upon which mems judg-
ments In common Affairs tHrA out to
be correct stand SO singularly promi-
nent In o,rf memories ns-to become
epochs in our lives. One of the most
conspicuous mistakes made, not only
by ordinary practical persons, but by
Others who arc ased to- practice well
considered foresight upon business
and economical affairs, is in regard to
the excessive demand for horses, not
withstanding the vast increase in the
use of steam engines, railroads, canal
boats, and other methods of infhnl'
transportation. And in regard to
this people deanoe live and learn.
Forty years ago, when railroads were
only projected, and the great high
ways over which hundreds of millions
of tons of freight are now carried
every year existed only upon paper in
the form of preliminary maps, it was
objected against them that they would
destroy the horses and reader hiom
useless, thus depriving the farmers of
a very profitable part of their blisine9.
But what mistake was made! In
1910 there were about 1905, 900 horses
in the United States. In 1850 there
were 4,3SG,7l9; in 1860, 6,249,l74; in
1870, in spite of the enormous losses
Of the war, 7,145,97O; in 1880, 10, $751;
4ss and il is estimated that the num-
Der now in existence is nearly 1900
600. And yet we have over 10000
miles of railroad, costing about ST.
DOC, 00O, 900, over which freight is pass
ed from town 10 town and from place
TO place over our vast territory. IL Is
interesting TO note the increase in the
number Of horses during the last ten
years, because that is the period dur
ing which the building of railroads
has been most actively carried on and
the volume Of business done on them
has expanded so enormously. This
fact may be accepted as a proof that
the extension Of railroads actually ere
ates demand for horses to facilitate
their business, and that as mechanical
facilities for business and transpOrta-
ton increase the necessity for working
horses increases correspondingly.
But there is another fact which bears
upon this question, and this is that
increase of business, such as has been
developed so prodigiously during the
past twenty years, has been accom-
panied by vast production of wealth
and IFS distribution among all classes
of society. With this wealth have
come habits of luxury, and one of the
most marked exhibitions of luxurious
living is the use of fine horses for road
and driving purposes. And thus there
has arisen a demand for class of
horses, the best Of which are valued
very highly, and almost beyond limit
excepting the ability or lavishness of
the purchaser, and The breeding and
rearing of which not only offers at
tractive profits, but occasionally prizes
that equal In value those which tempt
the miner 10 abandon the comforts of
home and bury himself in wild and
savage solitude in pursuit of gold or
jewels.
And yet the very same mistake is
made to-day by those much interested,
which, as has been pointed out, has
been made any time these 40 years
past, and in spite of the facts. above
presented. In spite, too, of the fact
that while steer or 4 years old sells
for 6 or z cents a pound on the hoof,
IL is a very poor horse indeed that
does not bring 10 or 20 cents pound
~ WV o"hfN oSNs anu DHt out VI itiou-
crate value which cannot he sold with
ease for So TO 50 cents a pound, while
not at all rarely rs much rs a dollar a
pound is readily paid for an extra ami
NAL or well matched pair. The same
is true of mules, and more so perhaps
rs regards the more desirable working
animals, for a stanch, heavy mule is
worth 25 or so per cent. more than
horse Of similar character, and il costs
70 or 80 per cent. less TO rear.
No doubt the most profitable and
branch of agricultural
business that exists to-day is the
breeding and rearing of horses and
mules, and il may be said the next
best Is the breeding and rearing of
cattle for beef. The farmer who goes
into stOck-rearing has the world for
his market. The following figures
may be considered in this respect: