402 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



are wanting, but they are seldom indulged with effect. Mr. 

 Kilby of Virginia, states in the Farmer's Register, that a 

 mare mule brought two colts got by a young horse, which 

 they closely resembled. The first was a male, and died, 

 apparently with staggers which no treatment could arrest, at 

 six months old. The second was a female, from the same 

 parents, 16 months younger than the first, marked like the 

 sire, being jet black, excepting a white foot and star in the 

 forehead, and died at a year old, after a two days illness, 

 notwithstanding the utmost care was bestowed upon it. Suc- 

 cessful propagation of this hybrid, however, beyond the first 

 cross, seems to be incompatible with the fixed laws of nature. 



With a view of encouraging the substitution of mules for 

 a part of the horses now employed in American husbandry, 

 we give the following testimony from experienced individuals 

 of great intelligence and careful observation. 



ADVANTAGES OF MULE OVER HORSE LABOR. 



The official report of an agricultural committee in South 

 Carolina in 1824, says: "The annual expense of keeping 

 a horse is equal to his value ; that a horse at four years old 

 would not often bring more than his cost ; that two mules 

 could be raised at less expense than one horse ; is fit for ser- 

 vice earlier, and if of sufficient size, will perform as much 

 labor ; and if attended to when first put to work, his gait and 

 habits may be formed to suit the owner. Mr. Pomeroy, who 

 used them near Boston for 30 years, and to such an extent 

 as to have had more labor performed by them probably than 

 any person in New England, says : "I am convinced the 

 small breed of mules will consume less in proportion to the 

 labor they are capable of performing than the larger race, 

 but I shall confine myself to the latter in my comparison, 

 such as stand 14 to 16 hands, and are capable of perform- 

 ing any work a horse is usually put to. From repeated 

 experiments, I have found that three mules of this descrip- 

 tion, which were constantly at work, consumed about the 

 same quantity of hay, and only one-fourth the provender 

 which was given to two middling size coach-horses, only 

 moderately worked. I am satisfied a large sized mule will 

 not consume more than three-fifths to two thirds the food to 

 keep him in good order, that will be necessary for a horse 

 performing the same labor. The expenses of shoeing a 

 mule the year round, does not exceed one-third that of the 

 horse, his hoofs being harder, more horny, and so slow in 



