OCR Text |
Show AGAIN SOUS ; 1E00BI Automobile Expert Says Day Not Distant When Dobbin Will Disappear An automobilo expert of the national na-tional capital, who has been gathering j statistics In regard to the . relative cost of keeping a horse and maintaining maintain-ing a tractor, predicts that the tlmo Is not far distant when old Dobbin will cease to be a factor on tho farm. "The horse is dying hard, but nevertheless never-theless lo Is surely dying out as a power unit on tho farms of America," declared tho expert. Call it Delusion. "Many farniers, and more especially horse breeders, aro trying to delude themselves Into the Idea that the farm ' horse will never be relegated to the extremo rear. An indication of this was brought out at tho recent conven-j tlon of draft horse breeders at Indian-i apolis. During that convention the president of the association issued an J Interview in tho Indianapolis news-papers news-papers in which he asserted that "the time will never come when wo can got along without horses on the farm. They will furnish nine-tenths of tho farm power and will contlnuo to do . so." . I "This horse breeder admitted that' thero Is a scarcity of good farm horses I of the draft type. Ve have plenty J of inferior animals and those of the poorer grades.' this breeder said, but there is a noticable shortage of good animals and the demand for good horses Is becoming heavy, with the prices rising.' ITorse Price Rises. "Without knowing It. this breeder has provided the one best argument against the use of horses on the farm. The plrces are rising for good horses, he admits. And he further admits that good horses are scarce. He might well have pointed out facts shown in government gov-ernment reports that horses of all grades, aro more than r million in number less now that two or three years ago. "This breeder ight have learned from government reports that the ' horse has proved to be an economic j failure on the farm. The government j figures compiled before tho war show that it costs $160 a year to keep a horse, and this figure should be! j doubled now. And then this report shows that 40 per cent of the farm-' er's total working expenses are I changeable to the use of horses. I |