DISTRIBUTION AND STATISTICS OF PEODUCTION 501 



"One thing which farmers generally do not fully 

 understand and which they should at all times keep 

 in mind is that the trade for draft horses is a sea- 

 sonable one. Heavy draft horses are in demand 

 mainly during the spring and fall months. During 

 the winter there is little call for them and there 

 is not much trading during June. The reasons 

 underlying this seasonable condition in the trade 

 are related to the demands of commerce. During 

 April and May ice companies are buying heavily 

 for their summer requirements and a great many 

 commercial concerns which do a much heavier busi- 

 ness in the summer than they do in the winter, such 

 as city lumber companies, building concerns, con- 

 tractors for excavations, and the like, are all in the 

 market for draft horses during the latter part of 

 March and April and the early part of May. The 

 demand naturally falls off during June as parties 

 needing these drafters have obtained them and the 

 only horses bought are occasional animals to fill un- 

 foreseen emergencies. In the latter part of July, 

 August alid during September the large coal com- 

 panies are on the market purchasing horses for de- 

 livery of coal during the fall and winter months; the 

 logging companies are also in the market for heavy 

 draft horses and some additional purchases are 

 always made in the fall on account of an extra call 

 for horses on contract work. These basic factors 

 underlie the trade for draft horses, which is natur- 

 ally strongest during the spring months and next 

 best during the early fall months. There is no par- 

 ticular demand for the heavy draft horses during 

 January and February; the men who need them have' 

 already obtained them, and such purchases as are 

 made are emergency ones to fill out teams or take 

 care of unforeseen work. I am satisfied that if 



