1088 New York State Breeders' Association 



taking the place of the horse, statistics show that there are more 

 horses in the world to-daj than ever before and, strange as it may 

 seem, to those who complain that there is no money in breeding 

 horses, prices are higher than ever and horses of the highest types 

 are equally scarce. 



The United States Department of Agriculture, under date of 

 January 29, 1913, reports that on January 1, 1913, the total 

 number of horses on farms and ranges in the United States was 

 20,567,000, valued at $110.77 per head, with an aggregate value 

 of $2,278,222,000. Compared with January 1, 1912, horses had 

 increased 58,000 ; mules increased 24,000 ; milch cows decreased 

 202,000; other cattle decreased 1,230,000; sheep decreased 880,- 

 000; swine decreased 4,232,000. In average value per head, 

 horses increased $4.83; mules increased $3.80; milch cows in- 

 creased $5.63; other cattle increased $5.16; sheep increased 

 $0.48; swine increased $1.86. In total value horses increased 

 $105,528,000, etc. 



So far as concerns there ever being an absolute extinction of 

 the horse, let it suffice for me to quote Darwin as authority for 

 the statement that, without exception to the rule, every oi'ganic 

 being naturally increases at so high a rate that, if not destroyed, 

 the earth would soon be covered by the progeny of a single pair. 



This statement as to non-extinction of the horse is, of course, 

 based upon the assumption that in spite of the enormously in- 

 creased use of mechanical power, in lines previously occupied 

 exclusively by the horse, the proportionate increase of demands 

 for animal power will more than keep pace and thereby require 

 the horse's continued reproduction. 



As a comparison I think it reasonable to refer to the conditions 

 attendant upon the introduction and gradual increased use of 

 labor-saving devices for replacing the labor of man. It may be 

 recalled that, when the first " new-fangled " machine came in, 

 there was almost a panic among many who were dependent en- 

 tirely upon the labor of their hands for sustenance and, also, that 

 this fear was eventually forgotten. 



Without going too deeply into the scientific side of tlie breeding 

 problem, I deem it pertinent to the subject of the hour to glance 

 briefly at the basic elements to be heeded, if we would achieve 



