New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-12-07

deal Of spirit and tho patience without the stab
borrntm Of The sss. II, however i, hes not been
matter Of profit heretofore to raise hinnes it has
been far otbersise in the case Of mules. So highly
were they esteemed by the Romans, that we are
informed BY Piily, quoting Varr) on hu.bandry,
that Quinius A1us, Roman Senator, paid four
hundred thousand sesteroas, equivalent to thirteen
thousand dollars, for male ass peculiarly qualified
by size, beauty and spirit for the propagation of
mules The same writer Informs US that the prof.
Of female ass in Cetberia, cOrre'p ,nding to
Andalusis IN Spain, kept for the breeding Of stock
for the same purpose, was calculated q. the same
SUM. The latter staten ut is far more remarkable
than The former, since the male sss might be e.
pecied to serve very may mares, aud to produce
one or two such foals snDusly, for perhaps twenty
years; while the f. male ass could not be hoped to
produce above ore per aDnum, Of which one could
hardly reckon on more than one half turning out
males, which alone ale directly profitable in mule
raising; it shows, however, the high estimate set at
avery early date on these animals.
They are DOW, probably, moro largely bred and
more highly priced in the United States than in
any other country in the world, unless it be South
America; AID justly 20. As draught beasts, beasts
Of burden, and for field labor, they surpass any
other animal in the world; and the use of them
allows the noble horse to DO applied to his own
proper uses (the saddle, or speedy light carriage
draugbt). and not to field labor or the rude aud
sordid drudgery to which he is too often degraded
and t. which he is wholly uoftted. 1t is claimed
fr the mule, and rightly, that he can do his own
work, that is TO ray, field work, heavy teaming,
and carrying pack all as well as the horse
the last item better than the horse, and twice Is
much Of each one Of them as the horse, provided
he is not hurried, keeping himself in perfect cond
ton, where the horse would knock up md starye;
that be can do all this on half tue food and with
half the care thst the horse requires although the
more food and the more care both have tho bstter
they will do their work; and Lastly, the mule.
beirg an animal of great longevity AMI great reten-
ton, or conservation, Of both bis vital energies aud
bis physical powers is able to work to the advAu-
tase Of bis owners, twice, if not thrice as many
years as the average Of horses. These are the
inducements to breed the mule, and to apply it
strictly to the purposes for which it is best
fitted, and for which nature seems to have
intended it. The great utility Of the mule, 10
this respect, ia shown by curious calculation,
which will be found in prize essay on the mule
written by Samuel WHY'S Pomeroy, originally
published in Tie american Farmer, and repub-
shed in the last edition of Masons Farrier, Of the
saving to be made in the draught Of pscketboats
on the canal from the Hudson River to Lake Erie,
by the substitution Of mule in place of horse labor.
1t 10 stated be says that packet boat on the Eric
Canal requires q team Of three horses to tow il
sixteen miles going at tie rate of eighty miles in
twenty -four hours; aud that the relays required
demand fifteen horses for each nautical day Set
ting the Tine from Lake Erie to the Hudson, at
Eve nautical days, seventy five horses will DO re-
quired and settipg the fotd, stabliDg and care OF
each horse at fifty cents per diem, it will cost each
pacl boat above 35 per diem for the subsistence
of its cattle alone, without counting deterioration
BY age, labor or accident, at which rate
eyery packet-boat must expend three hun
drta and seventy.Hve dollars for every tip TO
tho Hudson River and back from Like Erie Now
the same number OF mules will do the same amount
of work, at least as well a. the horses. They will
dol at one bali the cost Of subsistence; and they
will do it fifteen years longer than the horses. In
other words, one team of mules will do the work
for the sane length Of time that three teams OF
horses will do it. For team Of horses cannot be
counted on for such work for above seven years
at the utmost Thus, the mules will save the primo
eo.t in twenty three years of two teams Of horses
Of three EACH beside the interest," and will DO the
Same work, during the whole time, at oae half the
cost, beside the interest on the saving. II this
calculation DO correct one, and We have entirely
failed 10 detect the Jaw 10 it, taking into consider
alton the enormous number Of boats, and the gigan.
tic traffic, daily and hourly increasing, which pus
tbrt uah that grand artery Of American commerce,
the sums Of money to be realized BY the gain Of
this single substitution, battle the powers Of tho
imaa nation 10 conjecture them. 1t is sufficient to
.ay, broadly, that it would require but few years,
far less than the Life time Of single man, with that
sum annually capitalized and invested at compound
interest," 10 pay the capital Of the national debt Of
England. OF 20 vast importance to country, in
40 economical and national point Of view, may b
ard are the labors of the mesnest Of its animals.
1t was our intention TO bring this subject to close
in the prese Mt paper; but we fnd that we have 30
much yet to gay concerning what We believe to bs
material errer in the American method and system
Of mule raising of the real plan to DO adopted and
the proter animals to be selected and used ~ Pc
rents, ON both aides, for the raising Of far better
class of mules than We are nov raising, perhAps
than we, or-shall We say itl-spy country ever
bss raised that we must unsvoidaby defer our con.
clusion 10 our next iiiue.
2