176 A(j>lcuUural Gazette of N.S.fF. iFeb. 3, 1908, 



Mules 



i;KUii(.;K NALJJKK. 



Foil some years past Soutli Africa lias impoi'tril nnilcs in very lar<re 

 iiuiiilxi's. Tlie 1004: Census sliows tliat in Capu Colony alone there were 

 llien einjtluved some (U,-!-!-) muk's ami 100,-170 donkeys. The South 

 African farmer finds that the mule is much haidio- than the horse, that 

 he is not so liahle to disease, and that he can thrive upon much coarser 

 fare. He is therefore employin<i' mules foi' almost all classes of farm work. 

 In many districts horses cannot be profitably worked, in conscijucnce of 

 the prevalence of certain diseases to which tliey are liable, and therefore 

 nudes are used in their place. In other districts live-stock diseases are so 

 t roiililesome that even the mule eaunol be profitably employed, and tlie 

 still m(U'e hard\ donkev tokes his place. In many parts of South .\frica 

 it is (piite a comnKUi thine- to see teams of si.vtuen, eighteen, or even 

 twentv-four donkeys brineine' into town a waggon loaded witli fjirm 

 produce. 



The Customs returns for the yeai' 1906 show that, in spite of the 

 depressed state of trade, the demand for mules continues, no less than 

 5,538 mules, of a valtie of £67,51 I, being imported. Nearly the whole 

 of these mules were obtained from Argentina, the following being the 

 numbers obtained from each country, and the value : — 



Couiitrv. 



Mules. 



Value. 



Argentine KepuMir 

 United States 

 Canada 



Total 



£ 

 55,451 

 5,050 

 7,013 



It will be seen that the average value given is about .£12 ])cr head. 

 This ])rice is f.o.b. port of embarkation. 



The mules imported from North America are usually of tlie heavy- 

 draught type, which bring from GO to 100 guineas per ])air in Cape Town. 

 These arc used for town work. For the faiins, the lighter and cheaper 

 Soutli American mule is preferred. The prices (piotcd for these, delivered 

 at South .\friean ]iorts, are as follows: — 



Mules, 2 to 7 years, 12.1 hands 



„ 3 to 7 ,, 13 ,, 



3 to 7 ,, 13i ,, 



;^ to 7 ,, 14 ,, 



All mules are guaranteed to be as represented, and to be delivered in 

 good condition. No whites or piebalds will be sent. 



