CHAPTER VIIL 



HOW TO BREED MULES. 



TALUE OF MULES— THEIR HISTORY AXD NATURAL HISTORY — THE MULE AND 

 HINNEY — THOROUGH-BLOOD WASTED IN THE DAM FOR MULES — THE MULE 

 IN THE UNITED STATES — LARGE SIZE NOT DESIR.UJLE — VARIETIES OP THE 

 ASS — THE KIND OF MARES TO BE SELECTED. 



How important this branch of rural economy is becoming 

 in the United States may be seen by the following notice 

 of The Columbus Inquirer, copied into the veterinary de- 

 partment of Porter'' s Spirit, and the comment accompany- 

 ing it: " A few days ago one hundred mules were sold in 

 Scott county, Kentucky, at an average of $177 each. Our 

 Southern planters have here another illustration of the 

 fact, that they can never fully realize the high price for 

 cotton until they raise their own stock and provisions ; for 

 the high price of one is always attended by a correspond- 

 ing rise of the other." In view of this fact, we propose 

 to devote a little space to the examination of the history 

 and natural history of the mule ; the advantages which he 

 possesses, — as he does possess advantages of some kinds 

 and for some purposes over both the horse and the ox ; 

 his qualities, and the host and most profitable mode of 

 raising him for the market, and for producing his best 

 qualities and characteristics. 



To tell persons now-a-days that the mule is the hybrid 



between the horse and the ass vrould appear to be so 



absolute a truism that the recipients of the information 



would be very apt to laugh at the informant, and yet, 



4^ [81] 



