42 THE MULE. 



The raulef5 will listen for that bell like a lot of seliool 

 children, and will follow its tinkling with the same 

 instinct. 



Another curious thing about the mule is this : You 

 may hitch him up to-day for the first time, and he may 

 become sullen and refuse to go a step for you. This 

 may be very provoking, and perhaps excite your tem- 

 per ; but do not let it, for ten chances to one, if you 

 take him out of the harness to-day and put him in 

 again to-morrow, that he will go right off, and do any 

 thing you want him. It is best always to get a young 

 mule well used to the harness before you try to work 

 him* in a team. When you get him so that he is not 

 afraid of the harness, you may consider your mule two- 

 thirds broke. 



I have seen it asserted that a team of mules was 

 more easily handled than a team of horses. It is im- 

 possible that this can be so, for the reason that you 

 never can make a mule as bridle-wise as a horse. To 

 further prove that tliis cannot be so, let any reinsman 

 put as many mules together as there are horses in the 

 " band wagon" of a show, or circus, and see what he 

 can do with them. There is not a driver living who 

 can rein them with the same safety that he can a horse, 

 and for the very reason, that wlienever the mule finds 

 that he has the advantage of you, he will keep it in 

 spite of all you can do. 



Il-ule Raising. — I never could Understand why it was 

 that almost every person, that raises stock, recommends 

 big, ugly gollips of mares, for mule-breeding. The 

 principle is certainly a wrong one, as a little study of 



