THE BHKEDING OF MULES 195 



"The mule being better adapted for carrying 

 burdens, for the plough, the wagon, building of 

 railroads, and, in fact, all classes of heavy labor, 

 let us see how it compares with the noble animal, 

 the horse, in cost of maintenance. 



"From repeated experiments that have come 

 under my observation in the past twenty-five 

 years, I have found that three mules, 15 hands 

 high, that were constantly worked, consumed 

 about as much forage as two ordinary-sized 

 horses worked in the same way, and while the 

 mules were fat the horses were only in good work- 

 ing order. Although a mule will live and work on 

 very low fare, he also responds as quickly as any 

 animal to good feed and kind treatment. True, it 

 is charged that the mule is vicious, stubborn, 

 and slow, but an experience in handling many 

 mules on the farm has failed to sustain the charge, 

 save in few instances, and in these the propen- 

 sities were brought about by bad handling. They 

 are truer pullers than the horse, and move more 

 quickly under the load. Their hearing and vision 

 are better than the horse. The writer has used 

 them in all the different branches of farming. 



