TEE MULE. 35 



the hoof. In other words, give him room enough to 

 step, between tlie collar and swingle-tree, so that the 

 swingle-tree cannot touch his legs when walking at his 

 longest stride. If the above rule be followed, the 

 animal will not be apt to touch the swingle- tree. 

 Indeed, it will not be apt to touch him, unless he be 

 lazj ; and, in that case, the sooner you get another 

 mule the better. I say this because one lazy mule will 

 spoil a good team, invariably. A lazy mule can be 

 i-iept up to his work with a whip, you will say ; but, in 

 whipping a lazy animal, you keep the others in such a 

 state of excitement that they are certain to get poor 

 and valueless. 



There is another advantage in having the drawing- 

 chains worked at the length I have described. It is 

 this : The officers that formed the board that recom- 

 mended the drawing-chain, also recommended a 

 number of large links on one end of the chain, so 

 that it could be made longer or shorter, as desired. 

 If made in conformity with the recommendation of 

 that board of officers, it can be let out so as to fit the 

 largest sized mule, and can be taken up to fit the short- 

 est. When I say this, I mean to include such animals 

 as are received according to the standard of the Quarter- 

 master-General's department. 



