Tore Ass anno THE MoULE. 47 
sands are annually raised there for the New York and Southern 
markets, A correspondent of the American Veterinary Jour- 
nal says: 
“The mule trade is one of the largest of Kentucky, and af. 
turds one of her chief sources of revenue. The mule is fed from 
weaning time (which is generally at the age of five or six 
months) to the full extent of its capacity to eat, and that, 
too, on oats and corn, together with hay and fodder. In lien 
of the long food, soiling is usually adopted in the summer, as 
they are kept confined in a pound or paddock, containing an 
acre or two of ground, which is usually partially shaded, in 
herds of one hundred or one hundred and fifty. In this way 
they are kept until the fall after they are two years old, receiv- 
ing a sort of forcing hot-house treatment. At this age they 
are taken to the Southern market, not always by the feeder, 
but more generally by the speculator or trader; there they are 
sold to the planter entirely unbroken. The planters are too 
cautious to buy a broken mule, lest it should prove to be an an- 
tiquated, broken-down beast, fattened up and sold for a young 
one—as it is more difficult to judge of his age than that of a 
horse. The external marks of time and service are not gener- 
ally so apparent upon him. But it is a small job to break a 
mule. It is only necessary to have a steady horse to work him, 
with a second hand to drive him an hour or two to keep him 
up, after which he is considered ready for any service that the 
farmer may require of him. He may kick once or twice, but 
is unlike the spirited horse, who when he commences is apt to 
kick himself out of the harness before he stops. 
“Persons who have tried them on the farm are pleased with 
them. They never get sick and rarely get lame, will do as 
much work as horses which will cost twice as much money, 
and at the same time will subsist on less and inferior food ; for 
a mule will work very well on wheat straw and corn shucks, 
whereas the horse must have grain as well as a good allowance 
of long food. They are better for our servants to handle, as 
they can stand neglect and violent treatment better than the 
