The Democratic advocate., 1909-08-13
VOL. 44.-NO. "A.

tear, lost time, number of horses. The
great gain which will result in the
increased value of our property is
also another item to be considered.
Let us examine these few subjects
briefly, and see if can make clear
to you my views.
Wear and Tear.
Owing to natural laws it is iMpos-
sible for anything to be done in this
life without certain amount of wear
and tear 1t is considerable upon the N
farm, and whatever would lessen the
wear and tear on your wagons, your
horses, your harness, would be a saw
ing to you. 1t needs NO argument to
prove that everything, even your
temper, would last longer by hauling
over good road than over bad one,
and the longer your wagons, yorr
harness, your horses last, so much
longer can you have the money it
would take to replace them working
for you in another place. What the
actual amount in dollars and cents
per year this saving would amount
to, cannot tell, but you know 1t
would be something of Importance.
Saving of Time.
Again, another difference between
good roads and bad, is the difference
between time utilized and time lost
II time is money, it's loss has value
Everyone kOnWs that much of the
farm work has to be done at GER
tain periods of the year and that at
other times work is slack Now it
is just at this time when the farmer
has leisure, that the roads are at
II, Il L.
farm, and it is at the busiest time that
he must frequently leave his work TO
haul products, work which, if the
roads were good, could be done in
the winter. All the heavy hauling
could be done then, and it would not
wear either you or the horses out
so much, and it could be done in less
time.
It's no answer to say that at certain
seasons the farmer has so little to
do that the extra amount of work
does not matter. Such an answer
doesn't meet the question. In the
first place it could only apply to
the winter, and the roads are so bad
then you can't haul anyhow; and in
the second place, who ever heard of
a farmer having nothing to do on a
farm; if there is anything to do your
time being of value, its loss is the
loss of money.
Number Of Horses.
1t costs money to keep a horse;
if you can do the same amount of
work with less horses, every horse
dispensed with is saving Of course
many of you would say that you re-
quire certain number of horses to
do the harvesting, which is true, and
that you have to keep them anyhow,
which is not true, for statistics show
that less number of horses are kept
in countries where the roads are
good than where they are bad In
the United States and Russia, the two
countries of the worst roads, there
is horse to five people in France and
Germany, 1 to 13 and in Great Britain
about / to 18. In addition we do
know that besides the hauling done
by farmers, large amount is done
by truckers, lumbermen and others,
who keep horses principally for haul
ing, and they certainly could do with
less Your loads would also be larg-
er, so even if you kept the same num-
Der of horses you would still be saw
ing time. In foreign countries much
larger loads are pulled than in Mary
land. In France, Italy and Germany
from one and a half to two tons per
horse is the usual load. The largest
loads anywhere are pulled on the
roads near Munich, where 2 horses
haul from to tons. Compare
these figures with ours, where the
average is about one-half to two
thirds of a ton per horse. Another
way in which the hauling capacity
of horse would be increased would
be that we could use lighter wagons,
and the horses work would go into
pulling the load and not the wagons
dead weight. In addition, your horse
would not be strained SO much would
live longer, and as his work would
not be so hard he would require less
feed. Horses last longer doing the
same work in Washington than they
dc in Baltimore; why, because they
have better streets and less grade.
How much this saving on vehicles,
harness, feed and horses would
amount to no one can exactly tell,
but you know it would be consider
able. The Maryland Geological Com
mission, from the result of its inquir-
! les among the Maryland farmers, says
that it would amount to about 500
per farm of 210 acres. If the work
could be handled with one horse less,
it's feed per year should be added to
this amount which would be at least
$50, making a total of $3.50, the in
terest on $2500.
The Increased Value of Property.
Another item to be considered is
the increased value of your farm
lands. This increase in value is
most noticeable, and it is said that
in the improvement of the roads in
parts of New Jersey the tax rate
was not raised owing to the increas
ed value of property coming from the
saving made by good roads and the
additional demand for the land. New
settlers are new wealth.; they are
attracted by good roads, for it is ap-
parent that one would rather have
a farm on a good road than on a bad
one. So important do emigrants of
better class from Europe view our
roads that some of our consuls have
reported that they refuse to go to a
State whose roads are bad. But it is
not necessary to argue this question.
No man but would prefer having a
farm on pike then one away from
it.
General Estimate.
1t is difficult of course to fix the
amount of saving from good roads,
but it has been estimated in various
ways, the fairest in my opinion be-
| H. nR n