The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-09-01

low that there is a decrease in thess
per OF horses in the State. This dc
Is noticed for the first time in al
many years, IL ever before. There
ways Tor great many years been
stantiaI increase. These figures
tnat the prospect for raising hor
better than ever before. There Is
to be scarcity soon, and the su5 al
not anywhere near equal the "a
In Sagadah 90 county the re Xtbe
local assessors show the pressSs u eSOg
horses. 10 fill this number theN ars
only 2a three.year-olds, "a two-year.old s,
10 one-year-olis, or a total of 63 colts.
In Somerset there are 9l9i horses in
use. The supply of colts in this county
y put $40, distributed as follows: Three
hundred and eleven three-year-oIds; 300
two-ysar-olds; $40 one-year-olds.
Piscataquis Is reported to have 4I40
horses In use, and but 1856 colts to u the
demand in the next three years. here
are W three-year-olds, 90 two-yess56lds,
and 65 one -year-olds.
Waldo has 1903 horses in the county and
their supply of colts at the present time
Is but 4S7. There are 1911 three-year-d6s,
100 tWo-year-olds, and l21 one-ysar- olds.
Hancock oounty's report Ia not quite
complete, as the town of Eden failed to
put In the number of horses there. TAX
ing the number last veal. as a basis there
are COCO horses In the county, and but 2l8
colts for the supply. There are "a three.
year-olds 70 two-year-olds, and 40 one.
year -olds.
This condition of affairs is a surprise to
many and where the people of this State
are to receive the supply of horses is a
wonder. There are not nearly as many
colts as horses now in use. and the CON-
dition of affairs in these five counties Is
about the same ali over the State. The
exact figures are not now obtainable, but
the result will probably be just as START
ling.
The report comes from the West that
they nave stopped breeding toa certain
extent, In TACT, almost as lnue oh as they
have in this State. Oxen have not been
bred for many years In any great numbar
and 1t Is not possibls for them to take the
place of horses.
The greater demand for horses;will tend
to make the price very much higher and
the farmers who have good brood mares
and stations will be making money in a
few years should they commence at once
to breed.
The reports indicate an increase In the
number OF COWS of the State. 1t is proba-
BILE that the increase will reach at least
5000, which is the greatest more en-. of
any one year for a number of years. be
increase In. the nuinbersof yearlinYs %
greatest OF any year since the records "
been kept.
The farmers are all over the State.raN 4
much more live stock than for nut
of years. They have more confldencess 81
are showing It In this way as in N I
others. ~
The decrease in the number of on.
raised In Maine has been checked. an
without any doubt the returns will show
a substantial increase in the number of
oxen raised. There is also quits sub
stantial increase in the number of sheep
owned by the Maine farmers.
In Andcosooggin county in Ethe mat.
ter of cows, Turner excepted from which
no return has been received, there has
been an increase for the assessors year,
of SAT. The city Of Auburn alone has 17es-
COWS the largest number of any city ~
town in the State, aud gain of PA owe
the previous year. Oxford county shoYs
a gain of 800 cows and l39 oxen. Frank
lin, Piscataquis and Penobscot oountt
make returns similar to Androsoa
and Oxford. Houlton, Caribou, tSs
Fairfield and Presque Isle. the four fsS
est places in Aroostook county, return
more animals than In 1850.