46 DomeEstic ANIMALS. 
very serviceable to the poor who are not able to buy or to keep 
horses. He requires very little care, bears correction with 
firmness, sustains labor and hunger with patience, and is sel- 
dom or never sick. 
The varieties of the ass, in countries favorable to their de- 
velopment, are great. In Guinea the asses are large, and in 
shape even excel the native horses. The asses of Arabia 
(Chardin says) are perhaps the handsomest animals in the 
world. Their coat is smooth and clean; they carry the head 
elevated; and have fine and well-formed legs, which they 
throw out gracefully in walking or galloping. In Persia alse 
they are finely formed, some being even stately, and much used 
in draught and for carrying burdens, while others are more 
lightly proportioned, and used for the saddle by persons of 
quality ; frequently fetching the large sum of 400 livres; and 
being taught a kind of ambling pace, are richly caparisoned 
and used by the rich and luxurious nobles.* 
IL—THE MULE. 
The principal objection to the ass, as a beast of burden, being 
his small size, the ingenuity of man early devised means to 
remedy this defect by crossing him with the horse; thus pro- 
ducing an intermediate animal with the size ana strength of 
the latter, and the patience, hardiness, and sure-footedness .¢ 
the former. 
The mule is the offspring of the ass and the mare, or the 
female ass and the horse. In the latter case the produce is 
called a jennet, and is much less hardy, and therefore rarely 
bred. 
Mules are much used in warm climates, where they are pre- 
ferred to horses for many purposes. They are very numerous 
in our Southern States and not uncommon in the Middle and 
Western States. 
Kentucky is the great mule-breeding State. Many thou- 
* Blane’s Encyclopedia of Rural Sports. 
