J 78 MULES. 



The impressions received, when on a visit to the 

 West Indies in my youth, by observing, on the sugar 

 plantations, the severe labour performed by mules in 

 cane mills, induced me when I commenced farming, 

 to purchase the first well broke mule I could light on ; 

 and notwithstanding he was so small as to require a 

 vehicle and harness constructed purposely for him, his 

 services were found so valuable, and the economy of 

 using those animals so evident, that I was stimulated 

 to great exertions for procuring several others of 

 larger size; in this I succeeded, after great difficulty, 

 to such an extent, as to have had more labour per- 

 formed by them on farm and road, for thirty years 

 past, than any pesron I presume, in New England ; 

 and every day's experience has served to fortify my 

 conviction of the superior utility of the mule over the 

 horse, for all the purposes for which I have proposed 

 him as a candidate. And it should be considered, that 

 those I have used were of an ordinary breed, vastly 

 inferior to such as may be easily produced in our 

 country, by attention to the introduction of a suitable 

 race of Jacks, and a proper system of breeding and 

 management. The question occurs, how is this to be 

 effected ? I will premise, that there exists a strong 

 analogy between three varieties of the horse, and those 

 of the domestic ass, considered the most valuable. We 

 have the Arabian, the hunter, and the stout cart-horse. 

 There is the heavy Spanish Jack, with long slouching 

 ears, which Mr. Custis^ has described, that answers to 

 the cart-horse ; another Spanish breed called the Anda- 

 lusian, with ears shorter and erect, of tolerable size, 

 plenty of bone, active, more spirited, and answering 

 to the hunter. Then comes the Arabian Jack, with 

 ears always erect, of a delicate form, fine limbs, and 

 full of fire and spirit. Judicious crosses from these 



