No. 10. 



The Ass and the Mule. 



307 



his (Mr, B.'s) statement was wrong, said af- 

 ter making an estimate, that he had made 

 14^ per cent, on his capital for eleven years 

 past. 



Mr. Buckminster, of the Ploughman, said 

 that generally farms could not be leased so 

 as to pay more than five per cent. This 

 was a fair way of showing the profit, and 

 this was enough. It was better than larger 

 profits, for if a large percentage could be 

 made, capitalists would buy up all the land, 

 and those who were farmers, would become 

 labourers under them, as is the case in Eu- 

 rope, where land cannot be bought. It is 

 well for us that very great profits cannot be 

 made, as that would destroy the happy 

 equality that now exists. Farmers do not 

 work hard generally. He had inquired, and 

 in some sections they do not work more 

 than half their time. Many having farms 

 worth three to five thousand dollars, work 

 only about half their time. He said that 

 one reason that farmers made no more profit 

 is because they are so slow to adopt im- 

 provements. A horse rake may be bought 

 for four dollars, with which a man and boy, 

 or with a steady horse, a man can rake an 

 acre in half an hour. Farmers live better 

 than any other class. 



Mr. Calhoun said that we were about 

 closing this subject, and we should come to 

 some conclusion. From the numerous facts 

 brought forward showing the profits of farm- 

 ing, we must come to the conclusion that 

 farming is more profitable than any other 

 profession. Farmers who attend to their 

 business succeed well. The exceptions are 

 rare. 



A stranger remarked that he thought that 

 take farming all over New England, it was 

 not generally considered profitable. 



Mr. French, of Braintree, said that state- 

 ments had been rather vague, and it was 

 difficult to make correct estimates of farm- 

 ing by single crops, or one year's production. 

 We want something more tangible. He 

 said that farmers in his neighbourhood who 

 commenced with very little, had been dili- 

 gent at home, constantly attending to their 

 business, and they had accumulated estates; 

 a number to the amount of $10,000 or $15, 

 000. If a farmer saves only a shilling a 

 day, it will amount to a competency in the 

 course of a number of years. — Boston Cul- 

 tivator. 



The Ass and the Mule. 



Jacks have sold in Kentucky as high as 

 $5000. Their value at this time, April, 

 1842, is nominal — 16 hands is the largest 

 size — 15 is quite common — mules of 17 



hands are sometimes to be met with. The 

 quality of the mule is improved by the blood 

 of the mare. It is quite common to work 

 mares while going to the Jack, while in foal, 

 and while suckling. Mules should be wean- 

 ed at about five months old — we feed our 

 mules on grain, corn, oats, or rye, the latter in 

 the form of chop, from season to season until 

 sold. I mean during the winter, our blue grass 

 being all-sufficient during the rest of the year. 

 It is necessary, however, to grain feed them 

 on the grass through the summer they are 

 fattened for market — we sell the majority of 

 our stock the fall after they are two — mostly 

 to the cotton planters — a few of late to the 

 Pennsylvania iron works, and a few to Cu- 

 ba ; the remainder we sell at a year older. 

 The present prices at a given age are as va- 

 riant as that of horses, cattle, or any thing 

 else whose value depends upon its quality, 

 and the demands and monetary condition of 

 the country — sales were effected last fall 

 at $35 to $125. I have known mules 

 sell at weaning time for $150, and when 

 grown, as high as $300. They should be 

 broke at the age you would break a horse; 

 and, according to my observation, by the 

 same system. They eat as much as horses, 

 and reward a liberal allowance as well, 

 though he may, when unavoidable, be able 

 to withstand privation better. I have 

 known mules to travel ten miles within 

 the hour in light harness. I drove a pair 

 from Lexington to the Blue Lick in six 

 hours, stopping one hour by the way — the 

 distance is forty miles. What may be the 

 precise difference in " the age of the mule 

 as compared with the horse, under the same 

 treatment, on a plantation," I cannot say; 

 the advantage, however, would be on the 

 side of the former — I know of no particular 

 inconvenience in using them in a carriage. 

 The mule trade in Kentucky is of about 

 forty years' standing. For the first twenty 

 years the number increased gradually, to 

 about eight hundred; during the next fifteen 

 or sixteen years, it went up to four or five 

 thousand ; since when, it has gone back to 

 where it was twenty years ago. Our farm- 

 ers who breed mules, prefer to sell them 

 when they put their mares to the Jack, or 

 at weaning time. The price rose gradually 

 from twenty to fifly dollars for colts. My 

 last lot cost me in 1838, fifty dollars, and 

 the season of my Jack given in. The mares 

 were selected, and the colts bargained for in 

 the season of 1837. When the price went 

 down with everything else a few years back, 

 they discontinued, in a great degree, the 

 breeding of them; so that our present prices 

 result from a greatly insufWcient supply for 

 the ordinary demand. 1 sold my stock of 



