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gies to mule-breeding. The immediate result of this policy is that 

 there are nearlj^ twice as many mules as horses being bred in the 

 country, and although we have not yet begun to feel it, in a few years 

 there will be a very serious scarcity of horses. When that occurs there 

 will be a proportionate scarcity of mules. 



That the class of our mules can be generally improved goes without 

 saying. Any mare is regarded as good enough to breed mules from. 

 The class of jack from which the majority of persons breed is very bad 

 and deficient in size. I believe that I have seen nearly all the donkeys 

 in the large penns in the island and I am sure that there are not half a 

 dozen which stand over 14 hands. I cannot help thinking, therefore, 

 that more good can be done to improve the size of the mules which 

 we breed by importing a larger and heavier class of jack than by try- 

 ing to improve the size of our mares My experience is that the mares 

 which breed the best mules are the short-legged, thick set deep bodied 

 ones, — mares of the type of the weight carrying Polo Pony — and I 

 believe that if all our mares were of this type we woul I get better 

 mules from them when crossed with really big jacks— I mean 14*2 

 to 15 hands donkeys— than the mules bred from leggy mares. Large 

 mules are not a necessity in Jamaica. In fact in the hilly parts of 

 the country they are a disadvantage and cannot stand the work. A 

 short legged, stout-bodied 14-2 mule is what everybody wants and 

 what everybody will buy and I believe that such a mule can best be 

 bred from mares of the polo type when crossed with large jacks. 



Hon. J, V. Calder : The owners of the few mares who are now 

 breeding mules are making a great mistake in not keeping a certain 

 number to breed mule mares and thus keep up their supply and have 

 for sale the colts. 



I had to buy mules at £23 a few months ago that could have been 

 bought 3 years ago for £18. 



The mules bred by the peasantry are too small. 



It would be wise for the Government to subsidize a Jackass in St. 

 Catherine, Manchester, St. Elizabeth, St Ann and probably Clarendon 

 and place their services at the disposal of the public for a nominal fee. 

 I don't know why this was discontinued' by the Agricultural Society. 

 A bonus should be paid for each peasant's mare to the owner of the 

 jack on evidence that the mare had produced a cub. I don't think it 

 is desirable to pay a premium to the owner of the jack, as he may not 

 get many mares. 



Imported mares would not do to breed mules as a rule — but they 

 would in the hands of competent owners. 



W. G. Clark, Esq. : The mare progeny of the "Cleveland Bay," 

 will certainly improve the size of mules in every way. 



Jack Donkey importation ahould be encouragrd in the same way as 

 stallions ; numbers of jack donkeys to-day have a disease called, I under- 

 stand, "l3onkey Farcy" ; they are mostly little weedy things that must 

 do no end of damage among mares or jinnies not only getting weedp 

 miserable mules and cubs but diseased besides. They ought to be cas- 

 trated or taxed heavily. 



