•|K?.'5.] 



SFAY ■ENGLA^^T) FARMER. 



C3 



'' ^^^rjK^^i^xin^- f a ^-. tw t^ j • ijK, ' i ' M^x ,j si '^^ 



m ■i'ili'aiiivj: the fosibiliiv, er.nnom^, sind va-i 

 s:iiins of )'()()(!, )'Rt il is Slid tlie nnrnher of l;i 

 LoiinniT nxen hnvf l.itoU iliftiioisliccl nnvl horses 

 incre.Kci!. Five ji!i.i.m.\s of lite lullpr iire iiniv 

 3111'posPil to suil^is1 in the Uuiteil Kiiigdoni, aiid 



cpss ()(■ colli ivMler. From his light iVauu; ;uul 

 more Cinitioiis movfments, the rniilfi i> Isss 

 .iiihjerl to ca-^D.illici ih.in \he horse. Indeed, it 

 is not iini)|-oh;\hle, hiil n laimir m:i_v ivork th« 

 sjime letiin of nHih'!= iiho\e t'^vcnl'j years, arnl 



t\v(i-ihiri|s pui]>loved in imshaiidi y, — coiisiiminy never be presenlrd with .t farrier's lull, or liiid 

 nl a iii'idi^ri'.c esliiuale. tlie ()riiiiu.:t of (ti'oi/i/ j il necessarj to oXr'rcise the art liimself. ; 



iiul'lri:is of !iicfh!v oiillivaU'fl a,-.ros.* And wlial Sir John Sinclair, in his "■ Reports on the Au;- i 

 is lliH const-ii'ii'oce ? ca;i.s?4;/i/<.jo;i, follows so close ricnltiiro of Scolhuid,'' romarks that "if liie J 

 no'iii sitii/ilii, lliat at t-verv season of harvest, let] ivtiole period ol' a tiorse's latiniir I>h lifleen vears, 

 the nrccedinu- one be never so abiiinlaiit, las! sail- j the lii>l six m-ty be p(jiial in value tn that of tlie ! 

 iiiir vessels are loiind in the various ports, ivitiii lema^nini; nn.e ; therefore a horse ol' ten years i 

 th'-ir ■ ii'-horsaO'j'yj, to convey intell.i^ence ol thejoid, al'ter workinfj six }'ears, may he worth halfj 

 result 10 ill parts ol the world uiiere a surplus I his orifjinal value. He estimates iho annual ile- j 

 01 liread corn is grown — excitinsj such an inter- cline of u horse to be equal to iii'ly percent on I 

 €~t in our own conntry, llul the furiner on the) his price every si.v years, and supposes one out j 

 shores «i' Erie and Ontarin, and on the ban.ks of ot tvvenly-fivo thai are regularly employed in] 

 the Ot'i'', may t'l' seen readmsj iM/Zeij/ii oy" £/■(/- 1 agriculture, to ilie every year: conslitntiny a I 

 iih a>ei:.'/;e;-— ihr r:tin and suitshine of every day charge ol four per cent, perann: in for insurance ■ 

 in .'Li.'^uif and the Ju-o lolhnving months — oltei; t against diseases «nd accideiils. lie considers 

 wilhin lii:rlv days afler ih ■ time of their puhli-jlive acres of land, of niednim (jiialily. necessary : 

 calion in Luadoii or 1 i^erpool. Can it be sup- 1 lor the inainlenance of each horse, and the an- 

 jiosed that ill a Cennliy , where aa attachment : nual expense, iiicludina:- harness, shoeing, I'lirie- 

 to the horse honlers so nearlv upon iiijatualioii, ! ry, insurance .inil decline in value, alhuvinij Inai 

 thai the ipacslion wf the otilily of the vitilc a« a: to cost ;^200, to exceed that sum alxml live per, 

 6u!)Htitiitf, would he seriously as;ilaled. or en-; cent, which is the only dilTerence heliveeii the; 

 gage scarce a monientarv investi'.^ liion ? | eslimate of this illustrious and atciirale agii(,nl- ■ 



In no cniiniry is the mule heller ad.ipled to, tons!, and that of a respeclalde ruarmiitlee ttt 

 all the purposes of hnshaiidry, lor which the ! Ihe /•'armc/i Sucie'y rf Buriizi-tll i/isl rid, ^oul\\ 

 horse is useil, than in every 'cc lion of our own. j Carolina, who, in a report published in Ihej 

 And it rtould be highly desirable lo be able to ! Chiirleston Courier, of 23d of February last, i 

 cxliihit a calculalion of ihe actual saviii'^', jn f/o/- ! st.de, that '• tlie annual expense of keeping a 

 lurs^iiud cents, by his employment ; bul, unforlu-! hor.se is equal to his value !" The same coiii- 

 nalLdy, no coned data can be had. And as I ; mitlee also stale, ih. it " at four years old a horse 

 coiiiidcr such cilculalions, unless founded upon i "ill soldoni sell fer more than the ex[>ense of 

 t'upci iniciiiai fact=, nn / ;/io;e muUiptied, to be as ;. rearm;; him." That " the su]iori<.rily of the 

 '• liiikllng cymbals," 1 .shall merely submit <i Je- nvde over the horse, had long' been appreciated 

 su!<i:r:j coiiij).irison belucen the »iu/c and Ihe ' by some ol' the most judicious planters ; that Iwo 

 liiirsr, derived from such far.Is as my own expe-j mules could be raised at less expense than one ; 

 lieiice, and infoimalion from autheiilic sources, | horse ; that a mule is lit for service at an earli-i 

 will justify the assniuplirn of. I er age, if of sullirient size — will perfoim as i 



Froai what has been slated respectins; Ihe 1 much labour, and if atlended to when fust put' 

 loiigenly of ihe mule, I Ihiiil; il may Ik; lairlyilo work, his gait and habits mav be foinieil to 

 assumeil, that he does not deteriorate more rap j suit Ihe la>te of the owner." Tliis report may! 

 illy alter Ivnitij years of age than the horse j be considereil a most valuable document, eman-i 

 al'iei IE)), allowing Ihe same extent of work and j anatint;, as il does, from eiili2;htened practical , 

 siiuil.ir Irealinenl to each. The contrast in the j farmers and planters, in a section of our country 

 mule's treeilom from malaily or disease, com- 1 where we may sujipose a horse can be inaiulaiii- ' 

 jiared ivitli tlie horse, is not less striking. Ar-i ed cheaper tliaii in Maryland or any stale farther 

 tliur Voiiiig, iliiring ids lour in Ireland, was in- 1 north. | 



termed that a gentleman had lost several fine I 1 am convinced that the small breeil of mules 

 miles by feeding them on wheat slr.iw cut. — will consume less food in proportion to the la-| 

 And I have been informed that a nude dealer, in I hour they are capable of performinij, than Ihej 

 the western part of New York, atlribiiled ihei large race, but 1 shall contine the coinparison to! 

 loss of a number of yuung mules, in a severe; ihe laller — those that stand from fourleen and a ! 

 winter, when his hay was exhiusled, to feeding hall' to rising of iifleen hands, and equal to any 



Ihem exclusively on cid straw and Lidian Corn 

 meal. In no olher instance have 1 ever heard 

 or known of a mule being attacked with any dis- 

 order or coinplaiiil, exce(it Iwo or three case." 

 ol inflamniatioii of the intestines, caused by gross 

 neglect in permilling them to remain exposed 

 to cold and wet, when in a high state of perspi- 

 ration afler severe labour, and drinkiii'; to ex- 



*■ .Mr Fitt, il) an able " essHV on the cousuiniitieo 

 of com," publisliirrl by Ihe Boanl of Agriculture iri 1806 

 fstiniates liiat each rf/au^/i/ horse einployerl on roada, 

 canals i; Qiines. in pleasurt; carriages of all descriptions 

 and cart3 Id cilles consuaie* Hip Hvfcrs^e product ot'ftur 

 acres for oats and beans, and tkree acres (ov hay. It 

 J3 stated in the same pjsay that ■' the aggregate of oats 

 iniiuirtfd into Englaad (only) for twenty year.s ending 

 ia 1797 iiuounted to the cnornious quantity of !*.fi55,- 

 046 quarters" — upw:<rd" oi sixiy-nnit millions of biish- 

 fU .' — See "• CoaimunicaUons to tlie Board of Agricul- 

 tiie" vol. -6. 



abonr that a Irurse is usually put to. From re- 

 peated experiinenls, in the course of two win- 

 ters, I found that titrce innles of this description, 

 thai were constantly at work, consumed about 

 the same quantity of haij, and only one-fourth 

 the provender that was given to two middling 

 sized coacit horses moderately worked. And from 

 many years' allenlive observalion, 1 am led to 

 believe that a taru^e sized mule will not require 

 more than from three fifths to two-thirds Ihe food 

 to keep him in gooil order, that will be neces- 

 sary for a horse performinif the same extent of 

 labour. Although a mule will work and endure 

 on such mean and hard fare, that a horse would 

 soon give out upon, he has an equal relish for 

 that which is good; and it ia strict economy to 

 indulije him. for no animal wdl pay better for 

 extra keep by extra itork. JBul if b_y hard fure, 



or iiaril woik, he is reducid to a skeleton, two or 

 three weeks" rest and i;oc,d keeping will pul him 

 in flesh and high condition for labour. I have 

 vviliu^sspjj several such example.^ wilh subjecis 

 twenty years ol.l ; so much cannot be said of ii 

 !i:yrse at half (:iat ix^c. The expense of shoeing 

 a mule, the year round, does not amount lo more 

 than one t'lird tliat of a horse, his hoofs leing 

 harder, more horny, and so slo'.v in llieir ;;rowlb, 

 Ihe shoes require no remeyal, and hobl on till 

 worn out: and the wear, from the lightness ut" 

 Ihe animal, ;s much loss. 



Ill answer lo the charge generally prevnicnt 

 against the mule, that he is " n'ctewf, stabl/orn 

 and j(/.;k-," I can assert, that cut of about twenty 

 that have been employed on my estate at dill'tr- 

 enl periods duriiii; a couise of (liiily years, and 

 those picked np chiefly on account of their i«e 

 and spiri', wherever they could be found, e/(e 

 only had any vicious propensities, and those 

 might have been subdued by |ireper mana»e- 

 ineni when young'. I have always found the m 

 truer pullers iU)i\ quickir travellers, with a load, 

 than horses. Their \i-ion and hearing is mijcli 

 more accurate. 1 have used them in m\ fomilif 

 carriage, in a yii;, ai.d under the saddle; and. 

 have never known one to start or run liom any 

 objec' or noise ; a laiill in the hfrse that con- 

 linuallv cause* the maiming and death of num- 

 bers of human beings. The mule is more steady 

 in his dranghl, and lesi likely to wa?le his 

 strength than the horse: hence more suitable 

 to work with oxen ; and as he walks faster, will 

 habihiate ihem lo a quick* r gait. Rut fornonc 

 of the purposes ef agriculture does this superi- 

 ority appear more conspicuous than ploughing 

 among crops; his feet being smaller and follow 

 each olher so much more in a line, that he sel- 

 diun i reads down the ridges or crops. The fa- 

 cilily-«if instructing him to obey implicitly the 

 voice of his driver or (he ploughman, is aston- 

 ishing. The best ploughed tillage laud I ever 

 saw, 1 have had performed by two mules tandem, 

 wiihoui lines or driver. 



There i.s one plausible objection oi'len urged 

 against ihe mule, that "on deep soils and deep 

 roails, his feet beii.g so much smaller than Ihose 

 of the horse, sink farther in;" but it «he,uld be 

 cmsidered that he can extricate th' m with as 

 much greater facilily. 



Few can be ignorant of Ihe capacity of the 

 mule lo endure labour in a leniperature r>\ neat 

 that would be dostriictive lo Ihe horse, who have 

 any knowledge of the preference for him merely 

 on that account, in Iho West Indies, and in the 

 Southern stales. 



It is full lime to bring our comparison to a ' 

 close; which i shall do by assuming Ihe podtion, 

 that ihe fanner, who suhstitules mutis lor horses, 

 tvill have this portion of his animal labour per- 

 formed, wilh the ex|iense of one spire of grasi 

 instead of (too; which may be equal, so tar, to 

 making "two spires grow where one grew he- 

 lore." For allhough a large sized mule will 

 consume somewhat more thin half the fond ne- 

 cessary for a horse, as has (,een ol si.i\o,|^ ^^1 if 

 we lake into the account Ihe saving in exjiense 

 of shoeing, farriery, and insurance against diseases 

 and accidents, we may safely aliirm, that a dear 

 saving of otic half f.m be iubptant.ated. But in 

 addition to this, the mule farmer may calculate, 

 with tolerable certainty, upen the conlinualioa 

 of his capital for itiirly years ; whereas the horsa 

 taroter, at the expiration oi fifteen years, must 



