The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-06-22
SEVEN NATIONS BUYING HORSES

Furopean War Is Taking Enormous
Numbers of Gunners and Cavalry
Mounts. F. X. Sturgis Says.
New York Herald.
AS showing how Europe is drawing
on America for war horses, 1t IS
worthy of note that receipts at the ST.
Louis market alone We're greater by
5000 head in the first four month
Of 1915 than in the corresponding
and seventy-ive thousand horses and
| mules have gone through the stock
! yards there thus far this season. II
the war continues it is not unlikely
| that the total for the year will be
| close upon three hundred thousand
head, which is just about double the
number handled in any previous year.
AT present there arc seven govern
| ments represented in the inspections.
| Some of these are taking little 13-
| hand ponies as we'll as gunners and
| cavalry horses. Similar conditions
prevail in Chicago, though the numb
er of horses sold there Is not SO large.
At all markets the percentage OF
mares taken by the army buyers is
said to be rapidly increasing. At first
the animals purchased were princi-
pally geldings, but of late the mares
have outnumbered the geldings, run
ming as high as eighty per cent OF the
| gunnerS aCCepte on some days at the
Union StockyardS.
There is no greater enthusiast or
closer student Of horse breeding in
the country than F. K. Sturgis, the
vice chairman Of the Jockey Club,
who has charge of that organizations
bureau Of breeding in New York State
and anything that he has to say in
connection with the breeding industry
is always interesting, and doubly SO
Of this timo whom tho visible SIlnn1V
Of cavalry remounts the world over IS
becoming smaller daily.
"Only those who have given the
subject serious consideration" said
Mr.. Sturgis, in discussing h war and
its problems, realize the economic
waste the struggle las created. The
announcement that we have exported
$50, 900, 900 worth Of horses and mules
since the war started will not mean
much, except to the initiated, but it
; takes on tremendous importance
= when we learn that during the entire
! period Of the Boer war, which lasted
from October, 1899, to June, 1902.
2 the British government purchased al
o told 47O, 800 horses, Of which we sup.
t piled 109,S39 head. During the same
+ period they bought 1860 mules, Of
4 which we furnished 81,524 head. L
+ appears from this that the United
4 States has furnished for Great Britain
France and Italy in the period of tel
months past almost as many horse!
: and mules as the British government
bought in all countries during the al
most three years Of hostilities in South
Africa. When the hundreds Of thou
e sands of horses supplied by othe
countries are considered, and it i
remembered that the average life o
a horse in the actual wal zone is bu
a ten days, some idea of the necessit
yS L - ks--.. 49,
le is apparent.
., "Some faint idea of the rate a
= which the horse is being eliminate
may be gathered by reference to sta
-, tistic in connection with the Army c
l the Potomac during the civil war,
= he continued. 1.-The records sho'
that there were SO cavalry regiment
whose effective strength varied dun
~ ing the six months from May to o.
- This body Of cavalry required the 70
lowing remounts:-May, $3.50; Jun
In 6,327; July, 4,716; August, 5,49!
September, $3.50 and October, 1888
"a indicating a loss Of III horses a ma
or a ratio of five horses per annun
The secretary Of War. in common
ing on this showing. said:-'If a sim
ne lar state Of affairs existed through
out all our cavalry, ita 233 regimen
- would require 4S5.oo0 horses annua
:, a ly!
no I'm comparison with the wor,
Us strife new prevailing" said M
c Sturgis, "the civil war seems trivia
en- and the situation is one that shou
ISIS I'LL every breeder of horses with
ler sense Of the duty he owes his countr
en- The horse is a very necessary acce
~ sorry Of our everyday life, but in W,
or he is as indispensable as ammunitit
nt' or food. It matters not whether IL
lg- war is Of u making, or whether '
I'm benefit through the orders whit
IN come to us for horses from abroad
or the opportunity is there.
y;nsa1 WHO OWNS BRIDGE?
'ity -
t0aI nnoSfi0n Inrrolr2l L. NJ