235 



The Stud Groom must be fully cognisant of the disi ases of marea 

 which would be injurious to the health of the stallions. 



B. S. GossET, Esq. : I think it most important to breed larger stock 

 for breeding draft mules. There is a ready sale for large well made 

 mules but they are not easy to breed. 



H W. Griffith, Esq. : Mares from 15 h.h. to 15-2 h h. are the 

 most useful for breeding mules for draft purposes, above this height ia 

 not necessary as a good deal depends upon the " Ass." 



Mules of from 14 '1 h.h. to 14 2 h.h. are most useful ; mules above 

 this height cannot do quick, active work, such as drawing out bananas, 

 and logwood, &c., out of difficult places. The larger mules are most use- 

 ful for carrying dead weights on the level streets, such as town work. 



Colonel H. E. C. Kitchener : Bonus for American Jacks. 



A. P. LocKw^ooD WiNGATE, EsQ. : I think this can be safely left to 

 private enterprise: we can now produce 14* I to 14*3 mules, which I 

 think are quite big enough for the work here, and sell them at re- 

 munerative prices, and as long as we can do that, mares big enough to 

 produce these mules will be found. And if regular importations of 

 stallions are kept up, the size of the mares will keep up too and not run 

 small as they are doing now, aud we shall always then have mares big 

 enough to produce mules of the above size. 



Hon G McGrath : While I do not appreciate a large and leggy 

 mule for our description of work, I am willing to admit there are too 

 many weedy and small mules being produced, this I think might be 

 prevented, by the Government preventing the use of asses not up to a 

 certain size and with this suggestion the mule-breeding industry may 

 be left to take care of itself. 



A. C. L. Martin, Esq. : Having bred mule Royals myself I can 

 make bold to say they are hardier than the mules out of mares, will 

 grow to a serviceable size and more cheaply bred They should be bred 

 from large Jennies covered by a 14 hand horse. It is absolutely ne- 

 cessary that a few donkeys should be imported for sire purposes both to 

 improve the class of jennies now existing and to produce native bred 

 animals for sire purposes to produce mules from inares. It is with 

 great difficulty at the present time to obtain the services of a really 

 good ass to cover a jenny. The owner of the best ass I know of will 

 only take jennies after the season for serving mares is over and to 

 ensure success in donkey breeding the jennies should be covered 

 when they are in heat otherwise the venture proves abortive. 



There are too many undersized asses and horses serving in the 

 island, at fees ranging from 6/- to 12/- and owing to this the peasantry 

 do not patronise animals that will improve their si ock whose service 

 fee is a guinea. 



E. "W. Muirhead, Esq. : M ule Breeding is extensively taken up now, 

 the increase in the fruit trade having caused a good demand in which 

 there is much more money than horse breeding. If the Imperial 



