158 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



yet in great favor. H. W. Session states that the produce of 

 these jacks from 16 to 17 hands high, as seen in Missouri, 

 Kansas, and the eastern United States, have much weight 

 and substance and make the best mules in the world. They 

 are quick, active, and good sellers, and mature early. 



The Majorca jack is a breed of more recent introduction to 

 America from Majorca, one of the Balearic islands in the Medi- 

 terranean Sea off the coast of Spain. This is a large sort of drafty 

 type with heavy bone, averaging 15^ hands high, standing per- 

 haps a hand higher than the Catalonian. The head and ears are 

 said to be conspicuously large, the latter being longer than those 

 of any other breed and poorly carried. There is a lack of style and 

 action with the Majorca, the tendency being to sluggishness. 

 The breed has not attained popularity in America, and but few 

 have been brought here. It has, however, met with considerable 

 favor in Spain for producing artillery mules, and many of the 

 jacks have been exported to South America. In its native home 

 it has long been bred with much purity. 



The Poitou jack is a native of France, where for many centu- 

 ries he has been bred, especially in the province of Poitou, border- 

 ing on the Bay of Biscay. Here, in the departments of Vendee 

 and Deux-Sevres, the Poitou ass is bred in his greatest perfection. 

 This is the most powerful of the several breeds of asses. In 

 general, they may be described as having an unusually big head, 

 with large, long ears ; small mouth and nostrils ; thick, short 

 neck; broad chest ; good-sized, long body; quarters rather spare; 

 fore arm long but not thick, but knees and joints large ; hocks 

 as big as those of a heavy draft horse ; bone large, many meas- 

 uring nine inches around below the knee, but legs very short and 

 superior ; feet large. The prevailing color is black with light 

 points. Grays occur occasionally, but are not regarded with favor 

 and are not eligible to registry in the French jack studbook. 

 Much is said about the hairy development of the Poitou jack. 

 He is covered with a profuse growth of long, silky hair, which 

 adorns the ears, neck, and legs. The tail, which is rather short, 

 is quite devoid of hair excepting at its lower part. In his native 

 home, when in service, the Poitou jack is said to be a very unat- 

 tractive beast, for he is never groomed or trimmed. In Poitou 



