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Show THE 1RAGT0R AND IfcEJORSE By H. J. Frederick. Veterinarian, U. A. C. Experiment Station The true worth of tho horse as a power unit for hauling and Working liar, been somewhat lost sight or during dur-ing tho last few years, due to the sreat development or 'tractors ror rarm work. Tho truck nnd trnctor certainly have a great Held or usefulness use-fulness and havo a work they are fitted to do very elllclently. Hut Bomo of th arguments In favpr of this kind or power for all kinds of work aro not sound. The Impression that tho ueo of tho tractor will eliminate el-iminate n large pcrcontago of the horses kept on tho farms Is not homo out li ya study or tho subject mado by experts or tho U. 3. Depart inent of Agrlcultuto. Tho ruEUlts o tjilo Investigation ale published In Farmers Uullclin No. 1003. 'The In quiry covoied 1 full year's work of 101 farms In seven states In tho mlil-dlo mlil-dlo wost.' It wae found 'that while tlio use of the tractor brnupht about n reduction of about ono fourth la the number of horses kept on tho farms, the remaining horses continued contin-ued to perform three fourths of the tmctlvo work. In other words, the tractor may oause a, alight reduction ;in;!jfe nuifebdr. of homo :ucadid for fniwr work but thu hors still iv mains Indispensable for rast of the work." Tho chlcr value or the tractor lies. In Its ahlllty to do heav? work, especially plowing In hard soil, nnd to. cover the desired acreage In a shorter tlmo than the samo work can ho dono by" horses. The' best results seem to coma from the combined uso of both horso and tractor, each doing the -work that It can do to best advantage and each supplementing the other. Thr tractor purchaser Is advised to kec esough hoi sen to do common farm .work, cultivate crops, etc., and other oth-er , necessary work which must bi-done bi-done at tho samo tlmo but wlilcH would not ho economical for th' tractor to do. The typas of far tractors now In uso cannot bo econ omlcally employed on farms of lest than 200 cultivated acres. Tho kind of funning has nn ltn portant beating on the economy with which horsas may bo used fm motive powers. Tho number of hors es noedd, on n farm la determined i bv the number required to do the work during the season when U greatest amount of work is to be done. Therefnm the horeos have too many idle days during which time thoy muBt be fed, making thorn ox-pensive ox-pensive motive power, Tiy 0. system of rotation In farm crops the nin-nunt nin-nunt of work can be so .distributed) us to vory considerably reduco tho number of Idjo days and thoicforc the number of horses on tho farm. Under such a syntom of farming, tractors can compote with tho h&rso' is an economic farm motor to only a cry limited degree. Tho moro diversified di-versified tho crops tho greater thf lumber of livestock that are fed o-the o-the farm. The fewer' tho numbc. of Idle days for horses when the-"cat the-"cat their heads oft:' nnd the lua plnco there will be for automotlv power In tho performance of farn labor. |