lOO BREEDING AND REARING OF 



another section as he is of the Fiji Islands or Stan- 

 ley's ''Darkest Africa." 



THE ITALIAN. 



It is not necessary to say very much about the jacks 

 of Italy, but a good many have been imported lately, 

 and it seems proper that the people should know 

 enough of them not to be led away by the seductive 

 term, imported, and who at the same time will not 

 discredit all jacks because they are imported. 



They are found almost everywhere in Italy, where 

 little or no attention is paid to the breed. They are 

 principally used for packing purposes, and are the 

 smallest of any of the breeds imported. The moving 

 cause of their importation was their cheapness. They 

 were bought for a song, and in most cases had to 

 be sold for another song, with little or no profit to 

 the dealer. For this reason we have perhaps seen the 

 last of them. 



Occasionally they may be found to reach fourteen 

 hands, but they rarely, if ever, get to be taller than 

 this. Those brought to this country, and they were 

 the pick of Italy, ranged from about thirteen to four- 

 teen hands, were generally black (though grays are 

 not uncommon), and had rather large bones and good 

 weight of body. Many of them were practically use- 

 less as mule jacks, having doubtless been raised up 

 with jennets. We saw a five-year-old that was im- 

 ported into Tennessee that positively refused under 

 any circumstances to fall in love with a mare, and 

 that ran out in the pasture with a herd of jennets 

 without harm either to him or them. I saw another 

 lot of four or five, only one of which could be in- 



