Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-08-31
STATE HOUSE.
Great Scarcity in Horses Will
Soon Be Felt.
Clerk Plummer Gives Some Startling
Figures on Maine Horses.
An English Author Investigates the Social
Conditions in Maine.

Clerk Plummer of the board of State
assessors. has furnished the Journal
with some startling figures which are
secured from the returns received and
Investigations of the board into the
present valuation of the State. 1t
shows quite startling condition Of
the live stock in this State, and that
the time is better than for a number of
years for the farmers to breed horses.
The reports of the number of horses
in five counties are summarized in full
These counties are Piscataquis. Somer-
set, Hancock. Waldo and Sagadahoc.
| They show that there is Il decrease in
| the number of horses in the State
| This decrease is noticed for the first
time in great many years. if ever be
! fore. There has always for a great
| many years been substantial in
crease. These figures show that the
prospect for raising horses is better
| than ever before. There is bound to
be scarcity soon, and the supply will
| not anywhere near equal the demand.
In Sagadahoc county the returns of
the local assessors show the presence
of 2S09 horses. To fill this number
there are only % three-year- olds, "a
two year-olds, 16 one-year-ods, or a
total of 63 colts
In Somerset there are 9l9l horses in
use The supply of colts in this county
is but S57, distributed as follows:
| Three hundred and eleven three year
| olds; 300 two Year -olds; 240 one-year
olds.
| PiScataquiS is reported to have 41t0
! horses in use. and but 256 colts to fill
Ia nd n he
| There are IS three year-olds. 81 two
year -olds, and &c -yearolds.
Waldo has 1898 horses in the county
and their supply of colts at the present
time is but 431 There are 16l three
! year -olds, 155 -year-oldS, and l2l
| one year-olds.
Hancock county report is not quite
| complete as the town of Eden failed
| to put in the number of horses there.
! Taking the number last year as a ba-
| sis there are 5000 horses in the county,
and but 2lS colts for the supply, There
are "a three year-olds, - twoyear-
olds, and 40 one-year- olds.
This condition of affairs is 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 condition of affairs in
these five counties is about the same
all over the State, the exact figures are
not now obtainable. but the result will
probably be just as startling. T.
| The report comes from the West that
| they have stopped breeding to a Ger
| tain extent. in fact. almost as much
| as they have in this State. Oxen have
not been bred for many years in any
great number. and ii rs not poSsible-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 max
ing 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
probable that the increase will reach
at least 5000, which is the greatest in
crease of any one year for a number of
years. The increase in the number of
yearlings is the greatest of any year
since the records have been kept
The farmers are all over the State
raising much more live stock than for
a number of years They have more
confidence and are showing it in this
way as in many others.
The decrease in the number of oxen
raised in Maine has been checked, and
without any doubt the returns will
| show substantial increase in the
number of oxen raised. There is also
quite 4 substantial increase in the
number of sheep owned by the Maine
farmers.
In Androscoggn county in the mat
ter of COWS. Turner excepted from
which no return has been received,
kthere has been an increase for the as
SCISSORS year of 547. The city of Au-
burn alone has 1904 cows, the largest
number Of any city or towV in the
State and a gain of pa over the pre-
vious year. oxford county shows
gain of 900 cows and 139 oxen. Frank
lin, Piscataquis and Penobscot coun-
ties make returns similar to Andros-
coggin and oxford. Houlton, Caribou.
Fort Fairfield and Presque Isle, the
four largest places in Aroostook coun-
ty return 100 more animals than in 1S9O.