50 . 



pation iu it for the highest culture and refinemeut, your, committer 

 award premiums to the successful competitors as fitting, th(5ugh small 

 •testimonials of our regard for bread-making as an art, and for bread- 

 makers as artists. 



Respectfully submitted, 



F. P. Chapin, Chmrman. 



JACKS AI^D MULES. 



Yoiu- committee found but few entries in this class, viz: Two pairs 

 of mules, one jack and one hinny, and only a part of these are owned 

 within the limits of the Hampshii'o Agricultural Society. 



It is a matter of regret that the farmers within these limits do not 

 give more attention to the raising of mules for use upon their farms. 

 Certainly they would do so did they rightly understand and appre- 

 ciate their peculiar fitness for most kinds of farm work. It is esti- 

 mated upon good authority, by persons who have given speciirl at- 

 tention to this subject, that the value of mules for work, profit, &c.. 

 is from twenty-five to thirty-three per cent, over that of horse.s, and 

 a mule three years old is considered as good as ahorse at five. The 

 mule is much hardier than the horse, subject to fewer diseases, moro 

 patient, less particular as to its food, very much less expensive in 

 feeding, more muscular in proportion to its weight, and usually 

 living and working to about double the age. They are not 'so apt 

 to get frightened, lose their senses and run away. A horse that has 

 once run away is never safe afterwards; but bring a mule back in 

 such a case and generally he wDl not do it again; his sluggish nature 

 does not incline him to such tricks. They are always sm-efooted. 

 For these among other reasons, the mule has always been used in 

 mountainous regions, for difficult and almost, impassable roads and 

 paths; for hauling cars inside of inines, and various other kinds of 

 work for which the horse is not suitable, or in wluchhe soon breaks 



