244 MANAGEMENT AND BREEDING OF HORSES 



found their way to Virginia, where they were received 

 favorably. Long before the Civil War, Benjamin Frank- 

 lin and others made importations to middle Tennessee 

 and to Charleston, South Carolina. Since the war, a 

 large number have been brought to this country, es- 

 pecially to Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri, the prin- 

 cipal mule-breeding states of the Union. Mules sired by 

 the Catalonian jacks have much size and quality, and 

 have been ranked as the best in the world. They are stylish, 

 active, early maturing and good sellers. A large percentage 

 of the jacks imported to America come from Catalonia. 



The Majorca jack. — This breed is a native of Majorca, 

 one of the Balearic Islands, in the Mediterranean Sea, off 

 the coast of Spain. The soil is very fertile, and though 

 it is necessary to irrigate much of the island, it is very 

 productive of rich, luxuriant pastures. This, no doubt, 

 accounts foir the size of the Majorca, which is the largest 

 of the domesticated asses, ranging in height from 15.2 to 

 16 hands, and even more. The head and ears are de- 

 scribed as conspicuously large, the latter being larger 

 than those of any other breed and poorly carried. The 

 bone is exceedingly large, with a body to correspond. 

 There is a general coarseness throughout, as well as a 

 lack of the indications of sufficient quality. Because of 

 the enormous size and poor quality the Majorca lacks in 

 style and action, and, in fact, is often criticized as inclined 

 to sluggishness. In its native home it has long been bred 

 with much purity and large numbers are used in the 

 government artillery service. It is usually black or brown. 



The Majorca in America. — There is no authentic data 

 as to the first importations, though they were introduced 

 about the middle of the nineteenth century. Formerly 

 the breed was popular, because of its large size and good 

 color, and many were introduced, but it is not destined to 

 attract favorable comment in this country because of the 

 general coarseness, lack of quality and sluggishness. 



The Italian jack. — This breed is a native of Italy, where 



