THE POITOU MULE. 89 



Mr. C. L. Sutherland. She may be regarded as a typical 

 specimen of a first-class draught mule in working condition, 

 and won the following prizes : 



First prize Bath and West of England, Croydon, 1875. 



First prize Eoyal Agricultural Society, Taunton, 1875. 



Second prize Crystal Palace, 1875. 



Second prize Alexandra Palace, 1875. 



First prize Dairy Show, London, 1877. 



Third prize Royal Agricultural Society, Kilburu, 1879. 



First prize Alexandra Park, 1881. 



When speaking of the large limbs and feet of mules 

 of the Poitou race, it must not be understood to 

 signify that they are as large as those of a cart horse of 

 corresponding height, but as speaking comparatively, and 

 looking at the limbs and feet of the generality of mules. 

 A mule can never be a horse, and it is only by the careful 

 selection of asses as sires, with points approximating as 

 nearly as possible to those we look for in a horse, that we 

 can expect to breed symmetrical mules. It is quite true 

 that almost any mare, coupled with any ass, will produce 

 an average mule ; but if we wish to breed first-rate animals 

 we must take special care in selecting* sires and dams. The 

 grey French cart mares from which the Poitou mules are 

 bred are very middling animals when compared with our 

 Shire and Clydesdale breeds ; yet they give good produce 

 when coupled with the Poitou ass. If good Poitou 

 asses were selected and used on our English cart mares, 

 there can be no doubt we should produce mules far 

 surpassing any yet bred in Poitou. The Americans breed 

 mules from their best cart mares, and find it pays them 

 better to do so than to breed horse colts. They mostly use, 

 however, for the purpose the tall Spanish ass, originally 

 brought from Catalonia, leggy, light in the barrel, and 



