THE Ass AND THE MULE. 47 



sands are annually raised there for the New York and Southern 

 markets. A correspondent of the American Veterinary Jour- 

 nal says: 



" The mule trade is one of the largest of Kentucky, and af- 

 fords one of her chief sources of revenue. The mule is fed from 

 weaning time (which is generally at the age of five or six 

 months) to the full extent of its capacity to eat, and that, 

 too, on oats and corn, together with hay and fodder. In lieu 

 of the long food, soiling is usually adopted in the summer, as 

 they are kept confined in a pound or paddock, containing an 

 acre or two of ground, which is usually partially shaded, in 

 herds of one hundred or one hundred and fifty. In this way 

 they are kept until the fall after they are two years old, receiv- 

 ing a sort of forcing hot-house treatment. At this age they 

 are taken to the Southern market, not always by the feeder, 

 but more generally by the speculator or trader ; there they are 

 sold to the planter entirely unbroken. The planters are too 

 cautious to buy a broken mule, lest it should prove to be an an- 

 tiquated, broken-down beast, fattened up and sold for a young 

 one as it is more difficult to judge of his age than that of a 

 horse. The external marks of time and service are not gener- 

 ally so apparent upon him. But it is a small job to break a 

 mule. It is only necessary to have a steady horse to work him, 

 with a second hand to drive him an hour or two to keep him 

 up, after which he is considered ready for any service that the 

 farmer may require of him. He may kick once or twice, but 

 is unlike the spirited horse, who when he commences is apt to 

 kick himself out of the harness before he stops. 



" Persons who have tried them on the farm are pleased with 

 them. They never get sick and rarely get lame, will do as 

 much work as horses which will cost twice as much money, 

 and at the' same time will subsist on less and inferior food ; for 

 a mule will work very well on wheat straw and corn shucks, 

 whereas the horse must have grain as well as a good allowance 

 of long food. They are better for our servants to handle, as 

 they can stand neglect and violent treatment better than the 



