224 THE HORSE 



farmer engaged in many enterprises has use for a well- 

 bred roadster, or one with a long line of distin- 

 guished ancestors, he will find it cheaper in the end 

 to purchase such a horse than to attempt to breed and 

 rear it. 



Should the farmer engaged in a more or less mixed 

 agriculture attempt to breed and raise horses? Should 

 many of the dairymen part with a few of the poorer 

 cows and in time breed colts to take their places in 

 the stalls? Would it be wise for most grain farmers 

 to replenish their work -stock and have one or more 

 spans of horses to sell each year? To all these questions 

 the answer is emphatically, yes. Some farmers appear 

 to have but one idea, viz., that the town or city is the 

 place to buy things, even horses; when cities and vil- 

 lages should be looked upon by the farmer as places 

 to sell things, and to buy only what cannot well be 

 produced at home. 



It is said that the horse is to be supplanted by 

 mechanical contrivances, which will take his place in 

 the street, the field and for recreation. It is also con- 

 tended that horses are too expensive, in that they 

 require feed and care when not at work; while the 

 bicycle, the automobile and the street -car require no 

 care when not in use. The last argument may be met 

 with the fact that nearly all classes- of machinery and 

 appliances rust out and depreciate when not in use 

 faster than when they are constantly employed. 



Formerly, horses were used extensively during the 

 winter months. Cord-wood, logs and various obstruc- 

 tions to tillage had to be removed, They were also 



