SOUTHERx^^ CULTIVATOR. 
273 
therefore, an important question to determine — vrhere is 
the derangement — or ichat is the disturbing force? The 
answer we give to this question may not be admitted by 
some and the remedy we suggest may not be allowed for 
a season its legitimate importance, yet we feel confident 
from a long and careful study of the subject, that, sooner 
or later both the answer will be appreciated and the remedy 
must be applied. 
We believe the cause of the high price of horses arises 
mainly from the fact of the large increase in the rearing of 
mules. We say mainly: We know that the rapid in- 
crease of our population and the large accessions made to 
our cultivated lands in the opening of new countries have 
given a larger demand for horse-power; but the natural 
increase of hordes, under ordinary circumstances, being 
about equal to the increase of population and to the wants 
of the people for agricultural purposes, we cannot look to 
these, therefore, for the cause of the effecit which we see 
is produced. Perhaps in no period of the world and in 
no country, has there been so rapid an increase in the 
rearing of mules as has been witnessed in this country in 
the last twenty years. In the Census Tables published 
by Congress in 1841, so inconsiderable was the number 
of mules in the country at that time, or from some other 
cause, that their number was not stated in a separate 
column, but they were reckoned in the number of horses. 
Their real number at that period cannot, consequently, be 
accurately known. In the Census of 1850, their number 
is separately reckoned and placed in a column b^ itself, 
and an addition of the number found in the two Carolinas, 
Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, 
Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky discloses the large 
sum of 449,249. We regret that we have not the census 
of the present time that our argument upon the subject 
might be more complete. In order to make the point of 
our argument more clearly to appear, we call the atten- 
tion of the reader to a few facts, which evidently have an 
important bearing upon the subject. 
First fact. This large number of mules had been mostly 
reared in the ten or fifieen years immediately antecedent 
to 1850. 
Second fact. The opening of the lands for cultivation in 
lower Georgia, in Florida, in Alabama, Mississippi, 
Louisiana, and especially in Texas and Arkansas, since 
that period has greatly augmented the demand for mule 
service, and we may suppose that their ratio of increase 
has been, since that period, not less than thirty-three per 
cent. From this we may safely calculate there are at the 
present time, in the States we have mentioned, no less 
than six hundred thousand mules. 
Third fact. To breed this vast army of mules requires a 
large number of mares — every “mare mule” reared is so 
much absti acted from ihe producing force of the country 
and every mare [“horse mare” we mean] engaged in 
breeding mules [perverted we should rather say] is soon 
lost to the country, as she leaves no issue to take her 
place to cause the stream of “living life” to flow afiei her. 
When she dies the stream is stopped. According to the 
immutable laws of nature, hybrids do not breed, and we 
should learn from this fact that the breeding of mules is a 
violation of nature’s wise and salutary laws. If every 
mare in the whole country in the length and. bread.th of the 
land v:erc put to the breeding of mules, and this practice 
v:ere continued for fifteen years, the race of horses would, 
in that short time, become totally annihilated. Would not 
this be an evil more ominous in its consequences than the 
plagues of Egypt 1 The wealth of an Astor could not 
then purchase a horse. There would be no horse to be 
had. In vain would a Richard cry — “A horse, a horse, 
my kigdom fora horse!” The universal proclamation 
would be — 
“Go call a horse, and let a horse be called. 
And in your calling, do ye nothing call 
But horse, horse, horse, oh ! for a horse ye gods !” 
And yet the evil would not stop here — for in a very 
few years those miserable, ugly, stubborn, sterile, long- 
eared hybrids, whose introduction into the woild was- 
the death-knell to the noble horse, would soon them- 
selves leave the stage ofaction and their race, too, would 
soon cease from off the earth ; and we would add, if their 
extinction could be the resuscitation of the noble, race 
they had chased to the grave, with uplifted hands we 
would say, “So mote it be!” 
The total extermination of the horse is but a suppos— 
able case ; yet, as “drops make up the ocean,” every 
mule that is raised is one item towards its completion. 
Again, Suppose these six hundred thousand mules 
were horses — one half of them, suppose, were mares — 
and half of these were engaged in breeding, we should- 
then have one hundred fifty thousand colts — from this 
source alone— annually reared to supply the demands cf . 
the country and to lessen the enormous prices nov/ paid^ 
for mules and horses. Here let it be borne in mind thaty 
in the price of horses, as in that of every other commcditv: 
brought into the market, the lavr of supply and d.emcm&' 
regulates the price of the article. Hence it is that thg^ 
fewer the horses are reared, the greater must be the price,, 
and the larger the number the less the price. 
The evil of which we write is, from the state of things.- 
as they are, annually increasing. Year after year, as the 
mares employed in breeding mules die off, the numbcT 
becomes less and less, and the ability of the country tc^ 
raise both horses and mules is annually diminishing^ 
The capital producing stock is becoming smaller a»d’ 
smaller. In Kentucky, as the census tables show, thers 
was from 1840 to 1850 a falling off in the aggregate num- 
ber of horses and mules of over fifteen thousand; and we 
know that during that period there was a large increase 
in the number of mules raised, the inference is, therefore^ 
irresistible that there was a much larger deficit than fifi- 
teen or even twenty thousand in the number of horses.- 
Though it is true, that in the other States, there was ait= 
increase in the aggregate number of horses and mules, it 
needs no argument to prove in which of these the in- 
crease was made— and made, too, at the expense of the 
horse-producing power, both within their own limits and 
in Kentucky and Tennessee, whence their largest sup- 
plies have ever been drawn. 
The continuance of this state of things even for another 
decade of years will produce a condition in the affairs of 
the country from which it will require years and years^ 
to recover. Indeed the evil has already been continogd^. 
until we see the country is plunged into the unnatural 
and unhealthy condition in reference to this subject, we 
have mentioned ; and even now, if the proper means were- 
employed to arrest the evil, many years would be re- 
quired to restore a proper equilibrium in the price of 
horses. 
I have little to say in this paper as to the relative econo- 
my of mule and horse labor. The general sentiment of 
the country seems to be that it is economical to employ 
the latter. It is true, the mule has some qualifications to 
recommend him to favor ; he is, doubtless, longer lived 
and a smaller eater than the hoise — especially the loe«e- 
jointed, soft boned and flabby-meated horses, too often 
brought into the country. He requires, too, less attention 
and will endure rougher treatment and harder usage than 
the hoise ; but we seriously question whether, after al), 
he is a more econimal animal to employ in the service of 
the plantation. He is not as strong as the horse and does 
not move as fast and cannot, consequently, accomplish as 
much work. I did not take my pen to write upon the 
comparative merits of the two animals; thoroughly satis.— 
