The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-05-19
Mules And
Horses Are
Increasing

| Chicago, May 19.-A1though the
number of horses and mules in cities
and towns decreased approximately
SO per cent. between 1910 and 1920,
| the total number in the United States
| increased 10 per cent. in that pc
| rfod, with an increase of 218 per
cent. in horses and 32.4 per cent. in
| M leS on farms, according to bulletin
| of the Horse Association of America.
1.-The practical eliminating of the
driving horse for business use and the
advent of motor trucks, has caused
the decline in the cities,' the bulle-
tin stated. 'It does not indicate, how
ever, that horses and mules in towns
and cities will decrease Indefinitely,
for there are certain kinds of city
work, such as short hauls, slow haul
ing through crowded districts, and
delivery routes which involve many
stops, which are most efficiently and
cheaply done by horses, and to
which horses are being restored as the
facts and cost figures become gener-
ally known"
The bulletin said there was a mark
ed scarcity Of good young horses and
mules, that the birth rate has not
kept pace with the death rate, and
that a. twenty-five per cent. increase
in breeding will just hold up present
NAL expansion in horse and mule use.
The bulletin quoted the United
States census of January 1, 1920 as
showing 81, 472,772 horses and 5,S1O,-
O4l mules IN the OHlleu oldleSy d ~
tai of 27,2S3,413 head, and an in
crease of $4,000 or 1.9 over the
number in 1910.
The 1920 census also showed that
1877, 161 horses and 6,4s2, 391 mules
were on the farms, grand total OF
25,199,552 head, representing an in
crease of 546,S23 horses or 21S per
cent. and an increase of 1,331,S79
mules or 32.4 per cent. over 1910.
A total of 2,0S3,S61 horses and
mules was shown in the census to be
engaged in non-agricultural work, in
Guiding those in cities and towns. OF
this number 1,705,611 were horses
and 37S,250 mules. This was declared
to be a decrease of nearly 80 per cent
from 1910.
Discussing the question of whether
spring, the bulletin stated that 1.-The
shortage of good young horses has
put farmers generally in mood to
breed their mares; but as stallion
and jack owners have been unable to
make money during the last few
years, a great many have gone out
of business"
.The result isl the bulletin con-
tinued, that thousands of commu-
mites where breeding would be re-
sumed if sires were available will be
held back from doing SO. In more
fortunate communities, however,
breeding will be renewed enough to
supply requirements needed in farm
work, but 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 for
this particular cycle. They will then
be high enough to stimulate breed
ing 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 1878, the purchasing power OF
horses began to rise" the department
of agriculture bulletin said, and con-
tinued for ten years. 1t then fell for
ten years, rose for fourteen years,
fell for nine years and has now risen
for one year. Apparently the tide has
turned. The value per head in dol
lars still fell in 1921, but the dol
lars have acquired so much more pur-
chasing power that horses have risen
in exchange value