In message , harryagain
writes

"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
.. .

Big snip

Tractors are less work to maintain and more convenience.
Horses are lots of work (and vet's bills)
Also no neccessity to grow the foodstuff for horses.
Also more power in a smaller space.
Efficiency, not much in it.
The by product from horses is useful.

You make my point precisely, Harry. Despite the fact that the fuel
(grasses) can grow and set seed for free, so much intervention,
maintenance and support was necessary that horse-power was unable to
meet the needs of society a hundred years ago, and wouldn't be able to
do so today despite huge improvements in farming methods.

That situation is perfectly analogous to wind, solar and tidal power.
The energy sources may be free, but the effort and cost required
reliably to capture and utilise that energy make those sources totally
inappropriate for the needs of today's society. Like horse-power, they
will find applications in niche areas, but also like horse-power,
never in significant amounts.

They have far from disappeared and may return in numbers one day.

That sums you up completely, Harry. You live in a fantasy world.

Technology has moved on.
At some point in the near future fossil fuel will become uneconomical/too
polluting
The use of fossil fuels is a mere blip in the progress of technology.
Society will have to change.
Indeed has massively changed even in my lifetime.

Much of the change will be in improved energy use efficiency.

There was a working horse on this farm in 1950. Retained for jobs
tractors could not then do.

Otherwise they were displaced in 1941 when the War Ag committee required
suitable grassland to be ploughed and provided tractors and machinery to
do the job.

By the time fuel cost outweighs crop value the anti-gm brigade will have
been told to shut up and high yielding, insect resisting, BL weed spray
resistant perennial cereals developed.



--
Tim Lamb