CHAPTER XXVI 

 FARM HORSES 



Importance of the horse on the farm. The horse plays 

 an important part in American farming, where efficiency is 

 measured by the production per man instead of production 

 per acre as in some of the older countries. It is estimated 

 that one horse properly directed will do the work of ten men 

 and at one-half the expense. The horse and improved imple- 

 ments of farming have had much to do with the wonderful 

 agricultural production of America. 



The automobile, the tractor, the truck, and power ma- 

 chinery are being used more and more by farmers, but much 

 of the farm work will continue to be done with the aid of 

 horses. The present difficulty, that of securing farm labor, 

 will doubtless increase the value of the horse on the farm, 

 for either machinery or horses will be needed for power. 



The number of horses in the United States, according to 

 the government estimate of 1918, was 21,563,000. This 

 number is 1,133,000 greater than the average for the five- 

 year period (1910-1914), and was maintained in spite of the 

 very large shipment abroad of horses for army uses. The 

 lover of horses need have no fear of their extinction. Doubt- 

 less there will be fewer of them seen attached to buggies and 

 carriages on city streets and country roads, but they will be 

 found on the farm doing the work that no other agent can 

 perform so well. 



While it would be of considerable interest in our study of 



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