The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-08-01
JASPER sLlnEs, CONTRIBUTION
The Increased Demand FOR Horses
Farm Operations by Steam and
Gasoline Power. etc

dES0tttkC FtWCts
To the Editor of The Gate City.
This year witnesses many peculiar
changes in our national affairs
Since the first Of January q hundred
thousand cattle have been imported
into America from Mexico. the tariff
against them being three dollars and
fifty cents per head. The trade winds
of commerce bIow In many odd direc-
tons. and our Dragging United States
Of North America is humbfy extend
ing its dinner plate and asking for
eign powers for manF OF the common
Recessaries Of life which orr Own
country should be exporting
The summer IS on parade as an
ideal season. with showers of bless
fngs falling at regular Intervals. and
temperatures Just right for the gener-
al promotion OF growing crops. An in
surzent against the weather condi-
rions this summer should be shipped
ont as an undesirable citizen and
given q life term on Pitcairn Island.
A writer In the Kansas City Jour
raj recently Tentured the reason for
high prices of horses as being dHe
TO the raising Of mules. I have writ
ten in reply that the mHle Is only a
twenty-five per cent element when
compared 10 the number Of horses.
and that more important reasons are
in evidence for high prices The
American Spanish war gave a de-
nand for horses for military pur-
noses. and then followed the call for
more horses 70 aid in settling the new
8ly acquired possessions A prominent
dealer in horses here In Clark, Lee
and Hancock counties recently stated
( 70 the writer that years ago he t-av-
eled through Montana. Idaho. and
other western regions in buying M
native horses which he shipped east
into Missouri. Iowa and Illinois Now.
the trade wind in that business is
moving exactly contrary to former
years. and the same dealer is here
buying good horses which he sends
out 10 the west and Pacific states.
Then. again. view right here at
home shows that our farmers are
using more and better horses than in
i former years, as they can afford
them. and progressive agriculture de-
mands heavier power. Teams now
4 grade up from two to six horses to a
plow. harrow or disc, and an average
farm row has to have quite a popu-
lation of good horses The truth OF
the subject is that the prices oil
horses volunteered with the war with
Spain and has been marching right
along with the general procession OF
prosperity
i lessons from our friend Theodore
Roosevelt. even in natural history In
telling of the moose of the north
woods and lakes, Mr. Roosevelt says
that the moose has the longest legs
In proportion to size of any animal
thus being qualified to step over
great logs ard other Instructions In
it's flight through the dense forests,
On his trip to Africa Mr.. Roosevelt
secured a pair of ostriches and a
measurement of their tracks in the
sand showed distance as high as
twenty-one feet at step. So it Is
that we are indebted to Mr.. Roose
welt for hundreds of good reforms
and many useful lessons in natural
history.
A visit to field where threshing
OF wheat is in progress shows how
nicely the business is prosecuted
and how well the farmers adapt them