THE MULE. 829 



It is believed that Gen. George &quot;Washington was the pioneer in the business of mule- 

 breeding in this country. It seems that previous to 1783 there were very few mules in the 

 country; and these were such inferior animals that farmers were very much prejudiced 

 against them ; consequently there were few jacks, and no disposition to increase the stock. 

 Washington, however, became convinced that the introduction of mules generally among 

 Southern planters would prove a great blessing to them, because these animals are longer 

 lived, less liable to disease or injury by careless help, are well suited to a hot climate, and will 

 work on shorter feed than horses. A recent writer says, respecting this subject: 



&quot; It becoming known that the illustrious Washington desired to stock his Mt. &quot;Vernon 

 estate with mules, the king of Spain, in 1787, sent him a jack and two jennets from the 

 royal stables, and La Payette sent another jack and jennet from the Island of Malta. The first 

 was of a gray color, sixteen hands high, and of a sluggish nature. He was named the Royal 

 Gift. The other was called the Knight of Malta; he was about as high as the former, and 

 lithe and fiery, even to ferocity. The two sets of animals gave him the most favorable oppor 

 tunity of making improvements by cross-breeding, the result of which was the favorite jack 

 Compound, because he partook of the best points in both originals. The General bred his 

 brood mares to these jacks, even taking those from his family coach for that purpose, and 

 produced such superb mules that the country was all agog to breed some of the same sort, 

 and they soon became quite common. This was the origin of improved mules in the United 

 States.&quot; 7 



The teeth of the ass are similar to those of the^orse, and the age of the animal is indi 

 cated, as in the horse, by the changes that occur at different periods during their growth. 



THE MULE. 



AS will be seen from the foregoing, the improved mules of our country owe their 

 origin to the intelligent, and therefore successful management of Gen. Washington, a 

 man who could be &quot; first in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his country 

 men,&quot; and, when he saw the necessity, also the first in breeding mules for his countrymen to 

 use. As is well known, a mule is a hybrid, the produce of a jackass and a mare, while a 

 hinny is the produce of a female ass and a horse, and is therefore half-horse and half-ass, 

 the same as a mule; but there is a wide difference between them. The hinny has the voice, 

 the mane, and the tail, and very much of the form of the horse; while in all of these par 

 ticulars the mule resembles the ass more strongly than the dam. 



The mule is an exceedingly hardy animal, and admirably adapted to hard work in hot 

 weather, such as would be too severe for either the ox or horse; for this reason it is pecu 

 liarly valuable in the Southern States, for farm use, and all kinds of heavy work. Mules are 

 also used quite extensively in the Western States, but only to a limited extent in New England. 

 North of 40 they are used much less than south of this latitude, while beyond 43 they are 

 rarely employed. There has recently been an increasing demand for mules for exportation 

 to Europe, which has given a new impetus to the trade. St. Louis is the principal mule 

 market in the United States, although they are raised in various sections, Kentucky, 

 Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Texas, as previously stated, being the States 

 in which they are bred in the greatest numbers. 



Economy of Mule-Labor. Being longer-lived and more hardy than the horse, the 

 working period of the mule is considerably longer, while it will thrive with less care. A 

 well-bred mule, with proper care, will out-wear two horses. Mules do not become frightened 



