188 MULES. 



capable of performing, than the large race, bu*t I shall 

 confine the comparison to the latter those that stand 

 from fourteen and a half to rising of fifteen hands, 

 and equal to any labour that a horse is usually put to. 

 From repeated experiments in the course of two win- 

 ters, I found that three mules of this description, that 

 were constantly at work, consumed about the same 

 quantity of hay, and only one fourth the provender 

 that was given to two middling sized coach horses 

 moderately worked. And from many years' attentive 

 observation, I am led to believe that a large sized mule 

 will not require 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 extent of 

 labour. Although a mule will work and endure on 

 such mean and hard fare, that a horse would soon give 

 out upon, he has an equal relish for that which is good ; 

 and it is strict economy to indulge him, for no animal 

 will pay better for extra keep, by extra work. But if 

 by hard fare, or hard work, he is reduced to a skeleton, 

 two or three weeks' rest and good keeping will put 

 him in flesh and high condition for labour. I have 

 witnessed several such examples with subjects twenty 

 years old ; so much cannot be said of a horse at that 

 age. The expense of shoeing a mule the year round, 

 does not amount to more than one-third that of a horse, 

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

 their growth, the shoes require no removal, and hold 

 on till worn out and the wear, from the lightness of 

 the animal, is much less. 



In answer to the charge generally prevalent against 

 the mule, that he is " vicious, stubborn and slow," I 

 can assert, that out of about twenty that have been 

 employed on my estate, at different periods during a 

 course of thirty years, and those picked up chiefly on 



