THE DIFFERENT BREEDS. 27 



ing in new ground to attending funerals — both solemn occa- 

 sions. He has a swinging gait, peculiar to himself, that 

 makes him a speedy animal for such farm work as mowing 

 and raking, cultivating and reaping. He is especially well 

 adapted to the coach, being sufficiently speedy and exceed- 

 ingly plucky, and handsome enough for any king to sit 

 behind. General George Washington, much noted for 

 keeping handsome horses, was also an extensive raiser of 

 mules. Among the hills of Pennsylvania, where lumbering 

 and mining is so extensively carried on, the mule is king of 

 the collar. In this county (Westmoreland) the mule market 

 is always good. I am happy to say the tariff never affects 

 our mule market very much. Among the mountains of 

 Western Pennsylvania the mule is an indispensable beast, as 

 much as on the cotton and tobacco plantations, and in the 

 cane brakes of the sunny South. 



Speaking of mules, Rufus Mason says : To a young man 

 courting a girl whom he suspects is not quite as sensible as 

 she ought to be, he can go on horseback ; but the day after 

 the wedding, trade off the horses and get a first-rate mule 

 team. She won't dress so fine to ride behind mules; and, 

 seeing that the mules are sensible and businesslike, she will 

 have a good example before her. 



SHETLAND PONY. 



The Shetland ponies are from thirty-four to forty-four 

 inches high. They are very hardy and strong, with long 

 manes and tails. These are a protection to them in the cold 

 climate in which they are reared. They have long and 

 shaggy coats. After being in America a few years their 

 coats become finer. The Shetland Islands, where they come 

 from, are north of Scotland. The pasture is scanty, and the 

 climate severe. This is why they have become so small. 



