The RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
I G9“) 
The Indispensable Draft Horse 
H OK.SE AND TRACTOR.—The draft horse is 
indispensable to the Amoricjin farm. No one 
c;in intelligently deny this assertion. While it is 
One that a vast amount of farm and road work on 
,,ur farms and highways previously done by horses 
p now accomplished by farm motors and tractors, 
there is no evidence to substantiate the fact that 
4 ,ne is to relieve or replace the other. The farmer 
who works a restricted area of land has no use for 
the tractor: while the farmer who tills large areas 
of land cannot get along without horses, even though 
tractors are relied upon to do a great, deal of his 
farm and belt work. It is claimed that when the 
tractor is not in operation if is not accumulating 
any expense for maintenance. This assertion, while 
true, does not include all the facts. The cost of 
upkeep and repairs and renewals for Alio average 
tractor is almost prohibitive. Especially is this true 
when breakdowns happen during the busy season of 
the year, and (lie farmer is greatly delayed in get¬ 
ting his ground prepared and Ids crops planted. 
A PLACE FOR BOTH.—However, we have no 
desire to quarrel with either the tractor manufac¬ 
turer or the farmer who can use tractors advantage- 
that by utilizing the meadows and pastures on such 
areas they can be completely reclaimed. 
INCREASING FERTILITY.—One of the first 
steps necessary to reclaim and make of such farms, 
actual producing areas is to apply lime and phos¬ 
phoric acid and, for stockmen, to introduce more 
farm animals. The intensive use of commercial 
fertilizer and green manure crops has had a ten¬ 
dency to reduce the amount of live stock that is 
maintained by the Eastern farmers, simply because 
the farmer believed that he could maintain the fer¬ 
tility of the soil by this practice, and that he could 
get along without barnyard, manure. The practi¬ 
cability of tills procedure is best determined by 
interviewing the most successful farmers in each 
section, and determining their methods and farm 
practices. Commercial fertilization has reached im¬ 
mense proportion's, but one is not able to establish 
lasting benefits by utilizing these by-products exclu¬ 
sive of barnyard manure. They have found it neces¬ 
sary to make an application of barnyard manure at 
least once in two years, and where this is supple¬ 
mented by tlie use of commercial fertilizers increased 
crop production is recorded. Tt is needless to add 
unprofitable to depend exclusively upon the dairy 
cow for profit. The interest in horse-breeding that 
is being manifested throughout, the Eastern district 
is distinctly encouraging. Men of wealth who 
patriotically disposed of their Thoroughbreds and 
race horses during the period of the war are now 
turning their attention to the draff breeds, notably 
the Percherons and Clydesdales, realizing that it is 
weight with quality that brings the price that would 
more than pay for the feed the animals will eat. 
This decision evidences tlie\ determination of the 
influential men to make of the East a farming and 
breeding section where modern methods of crop and 
live stock production are to he practiced. 
BEEF CATTLE—While it is true that the dairy 
cow is working West, if is equally true that beef 
cattle are coming East, and the factors that are at 
work causing this determination are such as will 
result in making more of our farms productive, and 
making more of our land-owners real farmers. Such 
being the case, the Eastern farmer, who has the best 
market in the world almost touching his fields, can 
safely branch out in the feeding and breeding indus¬ 
try, sure that his products will be in constant de- 
.1 Well Cared For and Profitable. Dairy Herd. Fig. 5/fS 
ously. We have every reason to believe that there 
is ample opportunity for both the draft horse and the 
farm tractor, and we are quite as anxious for the 
nicehauics to make the tractors fool-proof as we are 
t< have the breeder of draft horses bring about im¬ 
provements that will increase their usefulness as 
'veil as their market value. During the war horse- 
breeding operations practically ceased in this coun¬ 
try. Apparently there was no outlet for surplus 
animals, and owing to the unsettled conditions of 
markets and exchange, the farmers had no incentive 
to go on with their horse-breeding operations. If 
"e read aright the signs it would appear that im¬ 
portations will soon assume normal conditions, and 
the farmers will again take to the production of the 
draft horse. 
HORSE-BREEDING IN THE EAST.—While if is 
tine that the hulk of our draft horses are produced 
in the Middle West, nevertheless farmers in the East 
arc beginning to realize the economy of producing 
lr >th live stock and farm products in this section of 
l!lt ' country, owing to flit* fact that excellent markets 
art' available throughout the Eastern district. In¬ 
tense interest now centers around farms that have 
formerly been closed or abandoned, and it is hoped 
that the most progressive farmers are stockmen. 
OPPORTUNITIES FOR STOCK-RAISING.—Land 
well adapted to the production of live stock is avail- 
aide throughout the Eastern district at figures sur- 
prisingly low when comparison is made with land 
values and exchange prices on corn licit farms. The 
level tillable lands that may be found throughout 
this Eastern district will grow abundantly all grains 
necessary for feeding farm animals, while the up¬ 
land is particularly adapted for pasturing purposes, 
lit addition to the availability of suitable areas for 
live stock farming there exist in every district 
throughout flu' East market centers that demand 
meat and milk products of the choicest kind at 
prices far above those obtained in the West. It is 
not uncommon for native-bred draft horses to bring 
from $5o to $100 per head more than animals of 
equal age and conformation that are brought in from 
the West. Furthermore, our meat cutters are be¬ 
ginning to realize that it is economy on their part 
to purchase locally on the hoof the most promising 
specimens of animals available. Labor problems, 
coupled with the strict and in many cases imprac¬ 
tical requirements of local boards of health or sani¬ 
tary commissions make it not only unpleasant but 
maud, and that he need not rely on the Middle West 
for his work horses and flesh-making animals. 
Home-grown products are the most economical, and 
are more profitable to sell. 
THE ONLY FARMERS’ HORSE.—While we can¬ 
not expect horse-breeding to assume proportions 
comparable to that prevailing throughout the corn 
belt, nevertheless it is true that draft horses of the 
particular strain possessing weight with quality, 
even though they are produced in the East, will sell 
when they are four, five and six years old, and bring 
considerably more money than their feed and labor 
costs. It is easier to get pounds of flesh than seconds 
of speed, and the draft horse is the only horse that 
the farmer has any right in undertaking to produce. 
We hold that farming conditions and practices 
throughout the East are not vastly different from 
those that prevailed in England 25 or 50 years ago, 
and feel satisfied that the next generation will see 
the East coming to itself in the way of producing 
not only draft horses, but beef cattle, sheep and 
swine. Someone has said that it is brains and not 
bricks that make a college famous, and we will add 
that it is markets and not mere acres that spell 
success in live stock farming. r. c. M. 
