PART III 

 FEEDING FARM ANIMALS 



CHAPTER XVIII 



FACTORS INFLUENCING THE WORK OF THE HORSE 



In spite of the coming of the tractor and the auto-truck, the number 

 of horses on farms in the United States decreased only from 19,833,113 in 

 1910 to 19,099,000 in 1922, and the number of mules rose from 4,209,769 

 in 1910, to 5,436,000 in 1922. 1 Thus the 29.1 per ct. increase in the 

 number of mules during the 12 years more than offset the decrease 

 in the number of horses on farms. While tractors and trucks have a 

 place on farms of sufficient size to render their operation economical, it 

 is evident from these figures that mechanical power will supplement 

 rather than largely displace horses on our farms. Some of the various 

 factors which a farmer should consider in determing whether or not 

 he should purchase a tractor are discussed later in this chapter. 



During the past decade the number of horses used in cities decreased 

 from 3,182.789 to 1,705,611. due to the general displacement of driving 

 horses by automobiles and a wide-spread substitution of auto trucks for 

 draft horses. Without question, the nearly complete elimination of the 

 driving horse in the cities'will be permanent. However, it is quite prob- 

 able that in the future there will be an increase rather than a decrease 

 in the number of draft horses used in cities for the shorter hauls in 

 delivery and trucking service. This is due to the fact, recently called 

 to public attention by Dinsmore of the Horse Association of America, that 

 under many conditions horses are more economical than trucks for such 

 service. Furthermore, while trucks may be out of service for repairs or 

 in inclement winter weather, horses can be depended on the year around. 



Many people fail to appreciate the magnitude of our horse and mule in- 

 dustry. On January 1, 1922, the estimated total value of the horses and 

 mules on farms in this country was over $1,800,000,000, a sum consider- 

 ably greater than that of any other class of farm stock. To feed and care 

 for these work animals means an annual expense of about $2,000,000. 

 In spite of the magnitude of the industry, less attention is given to the 

 economical feeding of this class of live stock than to any other farm 

 animals. Many a farmer, for instance, will carefully determine which of 

 the feeds available for his dairy herd will furnish a well-balanced ration 



1 U. S. Dept. Agr., Weather, Crops, and Markets, Feb. 25, 1922. 



283 



