Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-05-29
HEAVY HORSES foa THE FARMER

IL the heavy western morse pr0ntaole
animal among our farmers? Should we
render judgment by counting the num-
Der of these horses that are kept and
handled by the farmers, we might, with
out due consideration OF the subject, be
inclined TO answer this question In the
affirmative. But after fair analysis OF
the question we feel compelled to say
No. In the first place It IL altogether
too expensive TO purchase and equip q
pair of $500 pound horses simply TO do
farm work for two or three years and
then sell them for fifty or even sixty
per cent OF the original cost, as many
must, II they dispose OF them at all.
Quite share OF this class Of horses do
not earn the grain that they eat, not
mentioning other expenses attending
their keeping. Two pairs of growing
steers could be kept at less expense than
these hesvy-weights and good profit
realized from them.
The farms are few in this section that
q compact, "blocky," 2200- pound pair OF
horses cannot do all the work required
TO be done on the same, and have time
To spare.
And there Is many farm where one
Of this class Of horses can do all the
work necessary to be done BY horse.
He can do the old ground plowing and
sll the narrowing.
There are but few farms In nv town
where he cannot do all the moving ma
machine work, the raj ing, and drawing
In the hay and grain without injury to
him. Why then encumber the farms
with needless horses-worse than WORTH
less 10 the owuery Ii Is fact that twice
the number of horses are kept In the
town of Fsyette that are needed, and
undoubtedly the same condition exists
In msnv Of our rural towns.
Many OF these surplus ones are kept
until they ''est their heads or once,
twice and perhaps some of them three
times before they are disposed Of.
Would it not be we'll, and would IL not
be economy TO substitute oxen, steers,
cows or sheep for these moths? There
Is much work on the farm that pair OF
active oxen or steers can do as readily
and with far more economy than the
heavy horses.
The time IL at hand when breeding
cows can be kept and steers grown st q
profit. Why not make the change: High
grade Hereford or high grade Shorthorn
cows would lay grand foundation from
which TO start the movement. From
such cows first-clsss fancy or beef steers
can be raised. Many Of them would be
useful in the dairy as well.
Calves FROM this class Of cows are
easily raised on skim milk and a little
plus and worthless horses and feed the
amount OF grain that you are now feed
ing TO them TO first-cass steers aud you
will realize more prosperity than you
are now enjoying. There never was a
more favorable opportunity for the
farmer who Is adapted TO this work, and
whose lands also are adapted TO the pur-
pose, than the present time.
The valuation OF the town OF Fayette,
taken in 1899. shows 2il horses and AL
cows In town. That OF Resdfield for the
same year shows $40 horses and AS
cows. These towns show fully "a high
per cent Of cows TO horses as the rural
towns of kennebec County average.
Fayette had Is oxen and Resdfeld 81
The entire county had ,S64 horses,
l2,972 cows and S+l oxen.
Twenty-Five years ago Fsyette and
Readfield each could show more than
fifty pairs OF first-clsss oxen and steers
on the "0ld kennebec" fair ground. To-
dsy il Il doubtful IL both towns COM
bined could produce thirty pairs-'good,
bad and indifferent"
Such condition need not and ought
not 10 exist In these towns. They are
too well adapted 10 growing steers and
other first-class cattle for this enterprise
TO be so neglected. Get rid OF the sur
plus horses, the five and ten dollar
''nsgs," and the old five and ten cent
''cripples," and substitute In their stead
promising young steers or breeding
cows and note the good that will arise
from such an undertaking Geo. Under
wood In Lewiston Journal.