The Portland daily press., 1897-01-02
THE HORSE AND HIS FUTURE.
His Struggle for Existence against the
Wheel and the Motor.
from the Saturday Review

motor cars and bicycles upon the future
of horses have been, in many cases, ex-
travagant and ridiculous. 1t has been
said that in few years the horse will no
longer be bred for purposes of general
utility, and that if he exists at all, it
will be merely as a pet or plaything.
Nonsense of this sort should not blind us
carriages, light railways, and, to a GER
tain extent, also cycles of various GiDds,
are certain tn Affect very seriously the
horse breeding interests in this, the
greatest of all horse breeding countries.
Horse dealers already com plain that the
keep up their prices--has suffered consid-
erably from the enormous increase in the
use of the bicycle. Many hack has
been sold because its owner found bicy
Gle swifter, more agreeable, more con-
yenient and much more economical con-
veyance When small electric motors
are added to bicycles, many men who
would find bicycle riding in the ordinary
way too fatiRuing, are likely to adopt
them, and get rid Of their saddle horses.
But it is the motor car, van, omnibus,
cab and carriage which threaten to be
come the most deadly enemy of the
horse.
Before charging upon the damage like
ly to DO inflicted upon horse reeders
and horse dealers by such things it may
be prudent to hear in mind that the
question of the probable influence upon
both by artificial progression and propul-
sion was asked, and with at least al
much reason, in the early days of rail-
way locomotives and the use of steam
power for purposes of agriculture. Yet
many more horses ara bred in these days
than in those. 1t may be that the num-
Der is not larger, if SO large, in proper
ton to the population. The enormous,
perpetual increase of the population in
proportion to the increase of any kind
of farm produce in this little country is
a very Important point to be remem bered
in calculating the effect of any new fac
tor upon the future demand for par
tioular form of produce. This considera-
ton may well give Else to the doubt
whether, be the use Of herseless convey
ances ever so general. the demand for
horses will decrease sufficiently to re-
duce their number in this country very
materially twenty years hence. Judging
from tho results of the steam pillow the
steam threshing machine the steam tur-
nip chopper, the steam coke crusher
and the steam pulper, the motor cart is
ton OF the cart horse; and, II the light
railway saves him some labor, it is not
II ore likely to make his services un-
necessary than the ordinary railway. So
far from anticipating the abolition of the
cart horse by the motor, we should be
number of cart horses are not employed
at the works of the large horsel ess car
riage companies themselves.
We will continue with the cart horse In
beginning our consideration Of the INJURY
that may be inflicted upon horse breed.
for horse power. Among the most i'm
portant patrons of the Shire horss and
the Clydesdale, as the cart horse is tech
nically called, according to his breed,
are the bre wers. Undoubtedly it will be
great saving to them to have their pro-
digiously heavy carts moved by steam
instead of by horses. Horses similar to
those used by brewers, again, draw the
heavy vans Of many manufacturers and
merchants and dealers in cities; it may
DC expected, therefore, that the demand
for such horses will ssri ously decrease,
and we should not care at this moment
to invest money in large breeding stud
of Clydesdals or Shire horses at present
prices. Not that we anticipate the disap-
pearance of either breed. On farms, in
the yards of great works and railway
companies and even, to some extent, in
carriage in towns, there will be ample
oppol tunities for employing them. The
light van horse will probably, like the
heavy cart horse be superseded by the
motor. Where he Is used time is gener-
ally of Importance, and here steam pow
er has an advantage over him. He is a
fine, active, useful animal, and we
should greatly regret to see him gradual
ly disappearing. We have more fears in
his case tia in that Of the Shire horse
or the Clydesdale, as there is little de-.
mand for i'm beyond towns and sub
urbs, and farmers are not likely to go on
breeding him for their own use.
One of the most serio us questions for
the con sideration of farmers in oonnec-
ton with motor carriages 10 the effect
their general use would have upon the
demand fo- hay, oats and any provender
now consumed by horses; but as this
does not directly concern the future of
the horse it is somewhat beyond the
province of our present inquiry. Anoth-
er question which our subject does not
nc dnire us to answer Is. whether the
breeding OF horses, other than cart horses
and apnrt from the convenience of using
the yonng horses until sold, is even now
remuneratiye to farmers. There are
those who strongly maintain that it is
not.