Grand Forks herald., 1922-05-15
Birth Rate Does Not Keep (.
Pace Will, il, Deaths I Census
Bulletin Shows; Breeding
TO Be Resumed; Increas-
ing Prices I for n Next Five
Years Predicted. II

Detroit, May 15.-If Circuit Judge
number Of horses and mu.es In cities
and towns decreased approximately
50 per cent between 1910 and 1920,
the total number. in the United States
increased 1.9 per cent -in that period,
horses and 32.4 per cent in mules on
farms, according to the bulletin Of the
Horse Association Of America.
"The practical elimination of the
driving horse for business use and
the advent Of motor trucks, has caus-
ed the, decline In the Cities" the bull
%letin stated. 1T does not indicate,
however, that horses and mules in
towns and cities will decrease in
definitely, for there are certain kinds
Of city work, such as short hauls,
slow hauling through crowded dis
tricts, and delivery routes which in
volve many stops, which are most
efficiently and cheapiy done by horses
and to which horses are being re-
stored as the facts and cost figures
become generally known"
Good Animals Scarce ~
The bulletin said there was a mark
ed scarcity Of good young horses and
kept pace with the death rate, and
that twenty-five per cent increase
in breeding will just hold up present
strength, but will not allow for nor
NAL expansion In horse and mule
use.
The bulletin quoted the United
States census of January l, 1920, as
showing 21,472,772 horses and $780,
GAL mules in the United States, a
total Of 27,283,413 head, and an in
crease OF 526,s63 or 1.s over the
number in 1910.
The 1920 census also showed that
Is, ,767, 81 horses and 5,432,391 mules
were on the farms. q grand total OF
25,199,552 head, representing an in
crease of SAG, ,S23 horses ON 218 per-
cent and an increase of 1,331,S7s
mules or 32.4 per cent over 1910.
A total of 2,0S3,861 horses and
mules was shown in the census to
be engaged in UNCONSTITUTIONAL work.
including those in cities and towns.
OF this number 1,705,s11 were horses
nearly 80 per cent from 1910.
Discussing the question of whether
breeding would be resumed this
spring, the bulletin stated that "the
shortage of good young horses has
put farmers generally in a mood to
breed their mares; but as stallion and
jack owners have been unable to
make money during the last few
years, great many have gone out OF
| business" 4a,
Higher Prices Expected
| 1.-The result u.s." the bulletin eon.
| tinued, "that thousands OF communi.
ties where breeding would be resum.
ed il sires were available will be held
back from doing so. In more fortu.
! nate communities, however, breeding
| will be renewed enough to supply re.
/, placements needed in farm work, bu,
!! it will take at least two years. and
perhaps more, to bring the birth rate
up to the death rate.
I'VE may look for gradually in.
creasing prices on horses and mules
for the. next five years. at which time
they probably will reach the peak fol
(! this particular cycle. They will ther
be high enough to stimulate breeding
everywhere. and as is always the
case. over production will follow
This will bring back low prices about
! ten or twelve years from now"
| In support of this the bulletin
| printed chart from a bulletin OF
! the United States department Of ag.
riculture. showing trend of the pur.
chasing power of horses over more
than SO years:
I'm 1873. the purchasing power OF
horses beegan to rise" the depart.
ment of agriculture bulletin said
"and continued for ten years. It ther
fell for ten years. rose for fourteen
years. fell for nine years and has