4 



THE TREND IN HORSE AND MULE NUMBERS 



When farming was done with animal power, horses were used chiefly 

 in the northern and western farming areas and mules were used mainly in 

 the Southern States. The horse population was most dense in the Central 

 and Lake States, where large acreages were in corn and other row crops 

 that required several cultivations during the growing season. 



Horses and mules in the United States have declined in nunabers from 

 a near all-tim.e peak of almost 26 million in 1920 to less than 3. 4 million in 

 1958 (table 1). In the two decades from 1920 to 1940, a 44-percent decline 

 in horse and mule nunabers occurred. From 1940 to 1950, the decline was 

 more pronounced; about 46 percent of the horses and mules disappeared from 

 farms. Since 1950, the decline has been accentuated even more. From 1950 

 to 1958, horse and mule numbers declined by more than 57 percent. Along 

 with the reduction in numbers, the general distribution of horses and mules 

 has changed markedly throughout the Nation; they are now concentrated in 

 the South Atlantic and East South Central areas. In 1958, these areas had 

 more than 38 percent of all horses and mules compared with 17 percent in 

 1920. In identical periods, the West North Central area had about 16 and 

 30 percent, respectively, of the Nation's total number of horses and mules. 



In 1940, according to the Census of Agriculture, there was one trac- 

 tor for every four farms, and an average of two work animals per farm. 

 Most plowing, cultivating, mowing, raking, and so on, depended on horses 

 and mules for power. The situation has changed radically, in 1956, there was 

 an average of about one tractor and less than one horse or mule per farm. 



What were some of the reasons for this change? First, a farmer 

 can get more work done fajster with tractor-drawn equipment. Also, the 

 cost of operation is reduced considerably through the use of tractor power. 

 For example, a study made in the South in 1943 showed that use of tractor 

 instead of mule power for certain operations saved up to 50 percent in oper- 

 ating expenses per acre. 1/ Costs have been reduced further as more versa- 

 tile tractors with interchangeable equipment have come into use. Improved 

 farming methods and increased specialization in farming also have had a 

 part in accelerating the exodus of horsepower. 



1/ Brooks, James H. , and Barlow, Frank D. , Jr. Farm Mechanization, 

 Power Costs, and Production Reqtiirements in the Northern Coastal Plains, 

 N. C. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bui. 348 (Reprint), September 1946. 



