THE MULE. 187 



In no other animal, perhaps, is good feeding, kindness, 

 grooming, and housing, more amply compensated for by in- 

 creased service and willing performance than with the ass. 

 His appetite is not large, and he is much less fastidious about 

 the quality of his food than the horse. A few pounds of hay 

 and oats in the course of the day and night will maintain him 

 in excellent condition, and even on hay or grass alone he will 

 perform a fair amount of work ; but if the toil is exacting the 

 food should be in proportion. A large-sized ass will get 

 through a wonderful amount of work on half-a-dozen pounds 

 of oats and eight or ten pounds of hay. Few, however, receive 

 such an allowance as this, unfortunately ; but more frequently 

 they have to labour hard on a little inferior hay, or the grass 

 and weeds they may chance to pick up between or after the 

 hours of toil. 



The shoeing of the ass demands special care. From the 

 structure of his peculiarly shaped foot, he is very easily pricked 

 by the nails, and this accident is often followed by tetanus 

 (lock-jaw), to which he is strangely predisposed, and which is 

 so acute and fatal in him. 



In purchasing an ass, the age is judged by the teeth, in the 

 same way as in the horse, and pretty much the same diseases 

 and defects should be looked for. The limbs should be strong ; 

 the knees and hocks large and free from blemishes ; the feet 

 not too small, and the hoofs sound ; the chest wide ; the back 

 unscarred; the body rather long, but compact; the hind- 

 quarters and croup round and wide. 



The ass should not be put to hard work under four years 

 of age. 



THE MULE. 



Intermediate between the horse and the ass, in nature and 

 in utility, comes the mule. For certain purposes, this hybrid is 

 superior to both, combining in himself several of the good 



