THE AMERICAN MULE. 119 



become exhausted, and often becomes so well instructed as to 

 need neither driver nor lines. 



" In the town in which the writer lives, a cotton merchant, who 

 is also in the grocery trade, owned a large sorrel mule, 16 hands 

 high, that he worked to a dray to haul goods and cotton to the 

 depot, half a mile from his business house. This mule often 

 went the route alone, and was never known to strike anything, 

 and what was more remarkable, would back up at the proper 

 place with the load, there being one place to unload groceries 

 and another for cotton. 



" They are also good for light harness, many of them being 

 very useful buggy animals, travelling a day's journey equal to 

 some horses. The writer obtained one from a firm of jack 

 breeders in his vicinity, that was bred by them, as an experi- 

 ment, being out of a thoroughbred mare by a royally bred jack. 

 She is 16 hands high, as courageous as most any horse. In 

 travelling a distance of thirty -two miles, this mule, with two 

 men and the baggage, made it, as the saying goes, * under a 

 pull,' in four hours, and when arrived at the journey's end 

 seemed willing to go on. 



" We do not wish to be understood as underrating the horse, 

 for it is a noble animal, well suited for man's wants, but for 

 burden-bearing and drudgery is more than equalled by the 

 patient, faithful, hardy mule. 



" THE KIND OF SIRE TO BREED FROM. 



*' There are two kinds of jacks — the mule breeding and the 

 ass breeding jack*, the latter being used chiefly in breeding 

 jacks for stock purposes. It is only with the mule breeding 

 jack that we will deal. 



" A good mule jack ought to be not less than 15 hands high, 

 and have all of the weight, head, ear, foot, bone, and length that 

 can be obtained, coupled with a broad chest, wide hips, and with 



* The term jennet is used in the United States to signify a female ass, 

 and hence the jacks employed in breeding "jack stock" are termed 

 "jennet jacks." The best jacks are usually selected for this purpose, and 

 command a service fee of S50 (101.). 



