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T H ]i CUBA R E V I E W 



RAISING MULES IN CUBA 



Contributed to The Cuba Review by Mr. Fred Woi.fe, Havana 

 and by Mr. F. S. Earle 



From my experience of twelve years on the island, during all of which time I have 

 been extensively engaged in handlmg live stock of all kinds, particularly mules, I am 

 strongly of the opinion that Cuba is well adapted to the raising of horses and mules, 

 and that such business could be conducted profitably if the proper stock were imported 

 for breeding purposes. 



The mares now on the island are entirely too small for breeding purposes, and the 

 average live stock owner is not inclined to import larger and stronger mares because of 

 the peculiar adjustment of custom fees on such importation and the requirement by the 

 government that all mares imported for breeding purposes must be branded upon enter- 

 ing the country with a very large and unsightly brand, in order to prevent their being 

 used for other than breeding purposes. After being so branded the animals may enter 

 the country at a reduced custom fee of three dollars per head, which puts them on a 

 parity, as to custom duty, with the smaller and comparatively worthless mares ; hence, 

 either by the branding or the imposition of the excessive duty, the importation of suit- 

 able mares is practically prohibited, as the duty on large mares without the above-de- 

 scribed branding amounts to fifteen dollars. 



A few large and valuable jacks have been imported in Cuba, but as the island is almost 

 entirely destitute of mares of the proper size, no good resvilts have been or can be ob- 

 tained. 



There is a very considerable demand for good, sound, large mules in Cuba, particularly 

 for plantation work. During the past three years I have sold the Cuban-American Sugar 

 Company, for their various estates, more than four hundred mules, which have given 

 the greatest satisfaction. Professor Earle, one of the company's superintendents, says 

 that a pair of good mules do three times the work of a yoke of oxen, formerly used 

 on the plantations, and that in the long run mules are much cheaper than oxen. 



The Cuban-American Sugar Company feed their mules on mixed feed of alfalfa meal 

 and corn, to which they add molasses and sometimes a small quantity of cotton seed 

 meal. Those ingredients make a very cheap and strong feed, the mules being very fond 

 of it. The feed mostly used for this purpose is sold in this market and it has an estab- 

 lished reputation as being the best-mixed feed known, because it produces the best results 

 at a reasonable cost. All owners of work animals who have given this feed a fair trial 

 concede its valuable quahties for producing strength and for its digestibility, being a 

 well-balanced ration and in every way superior to corn, oats or hay when fed separately. 



Mr. F. S. Earle, formerly the director of 

 the Cuban agricultural experiment station 

 at Santiago de las Vegas, was met in De- 

 cember last at Cienfuegos by the writer, and 

 some interesting information was secured 

 concerning certain experiments now being- 

 made under Mr. Earle's personal super- 

 vision at the Central Nueva Luisa, near Jo- 

 vellanos, Matanzas Province. Regarding 

 the employment of mules in the cane fields 

 and the disease of the clumsy carretera and 

 oxen, his opinion was vigorous and direct. 



"Mules," he said, are going to supersede 

 oxen in the cane fields. There is nothing 

 that oxen can do which cannot be better 

 done by mules. Of course, the continued 

 use of the clumsy Cuban ox-cart is out of 

 the question, a lighter wagon with wide 

 tires must be used with the mules, some- 

 thing hke the cane wagons used on the 

 Louisiana plantations. Experiments along 

 these lines are being carried on at the Cen- 

 tral Nueva Luisa." 



"A most satisfactory feed for the mules," 

 continued Mr. Earle, "has proven to be 

 molasquit, consisting of chopped green 

 forage, such as cane tops mixed* with mo- 

 lasses. The animals thrive on this diet ; 

 they never seem to tire of it, and it brings 



the mule's maintenance down to 17 cents 

 per day." 



'"The use of mules in the cane fields will 

 grow rapidly," said Mr. Earle, "and it will 

 lead to further development in mule breed- 

 ing, which must prove profitable, as the 

 animals are easily raised on the island." 



A Spanish jack 



