462 AMERICAN FARMER'S HORSE BOOK 



totally diverse kinds, wherever attempted, has either heen 

 wholly unproductive or has resulted in some monstrosity for 

 a progeny. Such is not the case with the mule, though 

 himself incapable of breeding,, and this circumstance alone 

 is a great argument in favor of his legitimacy in the animal 

 creation. Judged by the test of usefulness and adaptability, 

 the mule may claim a high rank among the domestic animals. 



That the Divine interdiction was not construed by the 

 Jews in this restricted sense appears plainly from several 

 references to the mule throughout the historical books of 

 the Old Testament. For instance, when David, in the zenith 

 of his power and glory, as king of Israel, commanded cer- 

 tain of his attendants to " take with you the servants of 

 your Lord, and cause Solomon, my son, to ride upon mine 

 own mule, and bring him down to Gihon," it is evident that 

 he intended a compliment and honor to the\royal heir. And 

 Solomon, in the height of his almost unexampled prosperity 

 and glory, received "horses and mules" as tribute, among 

 such costly articles as " vessels of silver, vessels of gold, gar- 

 ments, spices," etc. It seems little likely that the inspired 

 record would have such facts to recount had the ancient 

 people of God understood that the very existence of the 

 mule was due to the violation of an express command of the 

 Divine law-giver. 



It is none of our business to enter upon a thorough dis- 

 cussion of what was really intended by this prohibition. Our 

 object is simply to exonerate and defend the much-abused 

 and ui^ustly-despised mule, and to relieve the minds of the 

 scrupulously conscientious of the fear that in breeding that 

 useful servitor of man they are coming in cpuflict with the 

 revealed will of the Creator. To our mode of thinking there 

 can be no valid objection to breeding together the mare and 

 jack, if it suits the interest and convenience of the farmer 

 to do so. 



STOCK FARMS. 



Under this head we wish to embody a few general but 

 highly-important directions in regard to the management 



