JACKS, JENNETS AND Mai<ES 8 1 



viz. : the propagation of mules ; and, during the Roman 

 occupation of Spain, the value of the males for this 

 purpose was placed at above $13,000. And this brings 

 me to the practical part of my subject — the profit in 

 breeding them. 



I think the breeding of all kinds of jacks can be 

 ;nade to a certain degree profitable, and I apprehend 

 that it would be of more interest to my hearers to en- 

 deavor to show in what breed there is the most profit, 

 rather than an abstract discussion of the subject of 

 jacks in general. And, therefore, I shall, as briefly 

 as possible, notice the different races of jacks that 

 have been brought to this country, not in the order of 

 their importance, but in the order of their importa- 

 tion. And I shall endeavor to give a just and fair 

 estimate of their value as adapted to our country. 



The first to be imported were from the Cape de 

 Verde Islands, and without doubt traced back to the 

 Portuguese. They were introduced into Connecticut 

 principally, and were used to raise a small and in- 

 ferior mule for export to the West Indies. At that 

 time jacks could not be imported from Spain on ac- 

 count of the Peninsular wars, and, therefore, the 

 specimens introduced were of such an inferior kind 

 that, as soon as the West India trade died out from 

 competition with better animals, the people ceased to 

 raise them, and because of their bad start they have 

 never commenced again. The same may be said of 

 Massachusetts. It is not because of climate, as many 

 erroneously suppose. They were, while in the busi- 

 ness, just as successful as any other part of the coun- 

 try, considering their material. Besides the jack does 

 not necessarily come from a warm country; indeed, 

 4 



