164

Modern Business Geography

Ellsworth Huntington
Fig. 122. The sledge, the first form of vehicle devised by man, is still in use in many parts of
Asia and in some backward farming districts in Furone.

three horses, one between the shafts, with a high arch above him, and
the other two on either side. In Manchuria the carts have two big
wheels, and two or three horses are driven tandem. with only a single
rein attached to the front horse.
Crude as these methods are, a large part of the commerce of Asia,
Africa, and South America, as well as of the mountainous or more
remote sections of North America and Europe, is carried on by means
of animals.
Why the horse is still important in advanced countries. Even in
the most advanced countries, the horse still continues to help the
farmer in plowing, seeding, cultivating, and harvesting. It also helps
to carry the products of farm, forest, and factory to the barn, railroad,
or steamship, and to distribute them to the store or the consumer
when they are ready to be used. This is because: (1) among animals
used for transportation the horse is superior in intelligence, alertness,
strength, and endurance; (2) the horse costs less than an automobile
 and needs less repairing; (8) the horse can be used at all seasons
 and in almost all places, while the automobile is often useless in
snow or mud, and requires special equipment for rough places or for
plowing; and (4) the farmer can raise his own horses and also their
food, while he cannot raise automobiles and gasoline.