Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-07-02
Increase of Horses.
NOTWITHSTANDING MOTOR VEHICLES
AND DEMANDS OF ARMY.

| Substitutes for the horse have 80 fal
failed to diminish bis number on farms
where he is mostly bred. Since he VA
first separately counted in the census o
1850, bis number has grown from 1886,
719 on farms in that year to 1885,, ,4S8 II
1850, to 1925, ,020 In 1900, and to 10, $685.
113 in 1910, and the recent estimate Ol
the United States Department of Agri'
culture for 1918 makes the number
Fl ,563, 200.
The railroad did not verify the com
mon prophecy of the horses gloomy
future nearly century ago, and many
years elapsed before the heyday OF the
bicycle arrived with Its expected menace
to the horse. That machine Of pleasure
and toll diverted attention from the first
real antagonist of the horse, the electric
street railway, and. this was formidable
one. Street-car service could not have
been developed by horses to the extent
| 1t has been carried by electricity, yet there
was an enormous displacement of horses
when they no longer pulled street cars.
It is roughly estimated that 1000, 900
horses would be required to move the
street cars now In city service and that
farmers would need to keep stock of
perhaps 8, ZOO, 900 horses to produce this
supply. Yet, horses kept on increasing.
REPLACEMENT OF HORSES BY MOTOR
CARS EXAGGERATED.
Apparently the most effective foe OF the
horse has appeared in the last ten years
in the motor vehicle, although its i'm,
portance in this respect Is popularly ex-
aggerated. According to statistics col
leoted by the United States Department
of Agriculture, the total State registra-
tions of motor cars were 5000 in 1905,
about 500, 900 in 1910, over 100000 In
1912, over 2, 400, 900 in 1915, and 3,b12, ,996
in 1916.
Automobiles do not mostly displace
horses but many are used by men In oc-
cupations dependent on either horses or
automobiles for personal movement,
such as real estate agents, builders, and
some merchants and manufacturers, and
there is also the large public automobile
passenger service In cities and, again,
the large number of automobiles owned
by farmers In place of driving horses.
The bulk Of the automobile owners, of
farms, however, would not be owning
horses as the alternative
MOTOR TRUCK DIsPLAcEs THREE HORSES.
With motor trucks and commercial
vehicles the case Is different. Here Is
clearly q complete substitution OF fuel
power for horse power. 1t Is the
opinion that every motor truck on the
average displaces three horses. The
state records often merge the registra-
tration of motor trucks and commercial
vehicles with that Of automobiles, but,
to the extent that the separation is
made, 1t Ia known that 1852 OF the
former were registered In 1915. Prob
ably the displacement OF horses by
motor trucks and commercial vehicles
represents stock on farms OF few
million horses, and to these must be
added the stock eliminated by the auto
mobile.
Last Of all, the farm tractor has ap.
peared, with conjectural possibilities,
but as yet with no perceptible dieplace.
ment Of horses in the country at large.
WAR INCREASES DEMAND FOR HORSES.
Unusual and large demands for horses
IOI WaE purposes uoS0 oooa booS SANSS
the autumn of 1914. During the 10
years preceding, from $4,000 to 10000
horses weSe exported annually, while
the imports were from 5000 to So, 1000, 80
that the net exports were no appreciable
draft on domestic production. In the
first year of the war 2s9, $40 horses were
exported, in the second 357, ,55S, and In
the third 27S, ,674 horses, and within less
than year the needs of the Army OF
this country have called for large num-
Der of horses.
Notwithstanding the various forces
that have been working against increase
of horses on their breeding places, or
rather, in common expectation, to reduce
their numbers at q strong rate, the fact
is that horses on farms increased at the
average yearly rate of 1SS, 900 since 1000
and more than that since 1910, or 2l6,-
600 per year. Per capita of the popula-
tion, farm horses tended to increase
from O.19 of horse in 1850 to 0.24 In
1890 and 1900, after which the decline
has been to O.20 IL In 1918, or still above
1850. At the same time, however, by
means of machinery the farm horse has
constantly gained as . producer.