Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-02-18
The HORSE SITUATION

II
the heading "Colts in Maine," am led
to give you something of view of the
horse situation for large section of oul
country, as have been enabled to see it
while on this institute trip. DR.. Smead,
a member of our force, is an active and
competent veterinary of New York. He
has been in touch with the general trend
| of the horse markets for some years and
while he is an active member of the
force, he is at the same time closely
studying the horse situation Of the
Northwest, that section of country from
which the East, and particularly Maine,
has drawn so many of it's most valuable
horses for general purposes i'll recent
years. He claims that observation
shows that we are almost on the verge
of horse famine. What with the failure
to breed horses for the last few years,
caused by the turning back into the
country so many horses from the city
street car lines when electricity came to
be used as motive power, and the ex-
ira demand for our better horses abroad,
t country has been practically cleaned
of its best stock, so that there is abso-
lutely no possibility of buying desirable
horses in any great numbers anywhere
at the present time.
A hand votetaken among the farmers
at each meeting which we have attended
so far shows that small proportion of
them have farm teams less than ten
years of age, that a still smaller proper
tion are raising colts to fill the places of
these when their usefulness is past, and
only an occasional one that is raising
horses to supply their neighbors or the
general markets. This is very un-
fortunate condition, because the time
will never come when there will not be a
demand for the farm, the carriage, the
coach and the draft horse. In fact the
demand for each must increase as more
acres are opened for cultivation, as bet
ter tillage is practised. as people live
better and the general lines of business
increase and extend.
Now, just what is the situation in
Maine? The number of horses has in
creased in the last nine years, nine per
cent, the number of one, two and three
years old colts has decreased 1913 per
cent, in other words, that there is less
than one-third the number of these colts
in our state than there was nine years
ago. This would not be an encouraging
condition of affairs, even if our Maine
farmers knew where they were to 60 for
a future supply of horses, but under the
present condition as shown from the OBJ
servations of the doctor it is almost
alarming. Perhaps a few words from
DIR. Smead himself may be of interest.
In letter of recent date to his home pa
per, he says:
81 spent a day in st. Paul and Min
neapolis in the sale stables studying the
horse situation of the great Northwest.
In the stable of Barret & Trimmer l
found 200 horses weighing everywhere
from 500 to 1000 pounds. / found one
of the firm, formerly New York man,
which was full and complete intro
duction. They have twelve men buying
for them in Iowa, Nebraska, Montana,
South Dakota and on the ranges. in
quired about what they had not yet in
the barn, and looked at what they had.
One of the firm, when asked him how
many horses he had that would be suit
able for an Eastern market, looked over
his books and counted up seven head,
and the price ran from $3.50 to 5000. The
facts, he told me, were that they could
find scarcely horse that would fill the
bill for an Eastern trade. The mass Of
them were of the coarse, meaty-legged
type, just tit to 60 up in the logging
where now am, right in the
heart of the district where horses have
been raised, and are now to some extent.
| saw to-day several teams of good quail
ty weighing from l $50 to 300 pounds
each; price in farmers hands for teams
from $500 to S375. Not a single horse
fit for driving or farm work can / find
that is sound at less than $40. These
sale stablemen kindly showed me pile
of letters from their agents, one Of which
| enclose you, as it will show your read
ers who may think that horses in the
West are cheap, and that they can be
had for nominal prices, what the horse
is. This letter, by the way, is
only one of at least twenty that saw"
The letter to which DR.. Smead referred
is dated Cozad, Nebraska, October l,
1901, and says in part: 81 am buying a
load of horses, but don't know when l
shall ship them.e Have only eight head
bought. Can hardly find them. was
in South Dakota and could not find any.
Will ship as soon as can fill out, but
can't say how soon that will be. A man
can drive and drive and can't see good
big horse. They just are not in the |
country. Will do the best can and
ship whenever fill OUT
| certainly hope our farmers will wake |
up to the situation before long, and take |
steps to begin the breeding of horses for
their own use, at least, along lines that
shall bring results. What we need and
what the market wants is size, quality |
and nervous energy. The horse that |
will fill this bill will never want for
purchaser.-B. Walker McKeen, st. |
Paul, Minn., in Turf, Farm and Home.