The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1918-11-20
SAYS DRAFT HORSES
WILL HAVE FUTURE
DEAN E. J. IDDINGS OF UNIvER-
SITY ADVISES RAISING
BETTER HORSES


So much has been said and written
in favor of high priced tractors in
place of horses for farm work, and
the agents of these machines have
been SO busily engaged in trying to
make people believe that the horse is
doomed, that it is refreshing to read
a statement from known authority
on horses and their future Dean
E. J. Iddings, head Of the agricultural
college of the University of Idaho, and
admittedly one of the best authorities
on the horse in the west, has. the
following article in this weeks issue
of the Idaho Farmer. His article
follows:
The emergency of the last couple of
years has given highly favorable
opportunity for the growth of interest
in mechanical forms of power for use
on the farm The various makes of
tractors have had powerful organlza-
tions behind them, and have to the
fullest taken advantage of the oppor-
tunity afforded. AS a result, the
tractor has been advertised as a
means of speeding up work on the
farm, as a means of doing more than
lulSuC D6 OOIlC Will liOI oOo eAAAA 60 {.
vehicle through which service might
be rendered to the nation IN connec-
ton with it's program for making
war.
AS a result of the work of all OF
these influences the tractor has OBJ
tanned greater attention and has made
greater progress in securing the IN
terest of the public than might have
been possible during a much longer
time had the nation been at peace.
Those interested in the live stock
industry are naturally Won
dering what effect this increased pub
lie interest and popularity OF the
tractor has had and will have on horse
breeding. The writer is of the opln-
ion that there has been lessenlng
of interest in the problems of horse
There has probably been
less of disposition to buy the best Of
stations. There has been somewhat
of careless attitude in the selection
Of stallion for use on the mares OF
the farm, and in general there has
been a lack, in some districts at least,
of highly ambitious attitude to
breed only the best Of mares to the
best of stations, with the idea of
securing constantly better horses for
public service.
Many men may not feel that this
point of view is correct, but 1T seems
probable that the unprecedented sale
Of tractors has been unfortunate for
the horse business, and, in many
cases, has been, to say the least, OF |
no advantage SO far as the future OF |
4 tractor is concerned. First OF all,
many farmers have felt that it would
only be question of time until horses
would no longer be in demand, and
nave taken less pride and paid less I
attention to their horses than for
nerly. So far as the tractor is con-
,erned, it has been sold to some men,
who will never make a
success with the tractor, and in the
of the moment has been
aiken by many men who have thought
hat it would do much more than 1T
an ever hope to do. Many men will
,e disappointed, naturally, in the re-
ult, and if they come back to horses
hey will undoubtedly need to start
It the bottom and build up horse
upply anew.
That the tractor has a future can
lot be successfully questioned. Many
f the most enthusiastic horsemen Of
oday are recommending the tractor
,ecause it will do some heavy work
nd save the horses thereby. 1t will
york in the busy season and supple
nent the horse power on the farm, /
nd it's use for belt power is also {
n important factor on a large num-
er of farms. The important thing I
) that many men think that the {
ractor can entirely supplant the t
orse and can work at any season and
n almost any farm. There are un- I
many farms of the west {
nat will never successfully operate {
FACTORS. {
1t will be many years, if at all, be- '
ore the horse is other than the big r
est source of power on the farm. 1t :
I =,