New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-12-11
IMPORTANT 70 FARMERS
MULES AND MULE-BREEDING.

Third and Last Article
In recent numbers We have puolshed swo papers
on this sutjecs the former gviGgA general account
Of the animals, with the distinctions between tue
two varieties, the mule proper and the hnny; the
latter relating 10 the value, utility aud particular
qualifications Of the former Of the two varieties 10
the present paper We propose to treat OF he differ
ence between the mule Of Europe and that now gen.
ersry raised in the United Staes-the error, az we
believe it to be, in The present Ameri'sn system
of breedir g-apd the best plan to be adopted for
raising the most valuable mules.
Ins,much as asses are not bred TO any extent 10
the United States, it is Of the frat consequence for
breeding to import fine js;ks from their n'tlvs
countries, of the breed and description most suitable
to the purposes for which they are intended and OF
the second, to cross them with properly selected
mares, 30 40 TO raiie mules Of the best type, size
and substance for general work. And it will DO
well here to observe that in the Uuited States gen.
orally the work Of the mule is and ever will con-
tinue to be- unless some radical change tste' place
which is not 10 be e1pected-in the tastes and
habits Of the people, field. work, agricultural labor
and team. drsught on the roads, ~ opposed to use
under the saddle or in pleasure vehicles. In the
praries, plains snd mountains Of the extreme West,
on the Mexican frontier and on tie Californis
route, they are and will be used as pack animals
and in minor degree beasts for the saddle, botd
for travellers and for the trappers OF those wild 'oll'
tudes but this is the exception and not the rule.
Now, apy person who has Travelled on tho cont
nent of Europe, in those countries where mules are
in use, especially Spain and Portus-for the mules
Of Italy and Switzerland are Of an inferior kind
cannot have failed to observe that it is the medium
and even the small sized mules which are the most
highly esteemed; that the great majority OF the
race do not exceed fourteen hands in hight 30 that
one Of fifteen is rarity; and that those nearest TO
the standard first named are most priced for their
hardness, while they consume far less provender,
in proportion to the amount Of labor which they
are capable Of performing than the loftler animals
of the same breed. In the United States the ratio
of value in the mule 10 exactly the reverse OF the
above in general estimston-the largest mules be-
ing the mO,t highly priced; and, as a mstter Of
course all pains ale taken to raise the standard aud
to breed them of the greatest possible hight In this
aim the breeders in the United States have been
eminertly successful, if that properly DO called
q success the effect Of which ID to produce what
one aims at producing, though in fact he had done
better to produce something else. And il may be
said that the average size of the mule of the United
States is not inferior to thst Of the ordinary work.
ing Mrae, while that OF many is vastly superior.
We have at present within our own knowledge
many teams of working mules. employed in draw
ing iron from the New Jersey founderies and in
cartirg coal and ore, which vary from sixteen 10
seventeen hands in hight, while some exceed by
half hand the latter standard, which, it may be
raid is never attained BY any horse unless it DO the
huge London draJ. horse, an animal incapable Of
working faster than at foots pace, and only bred
in fact for show and ostentsion, not for utility.
How it il that an animal sprung from the cross of
two speces the sire Of which il always greatly
smsller than the dam, should be larger than either
parent is one Of the unexplained mysteries Of breed
ing; but the mode 10 which it has been accomplished
10 no pyatery 1t is by selecting the very largest
AID loftest jacks of the breeds used in Europe for
the iaddle and in Spain for the draught Of public
sonveyan ces and private pleasure carriages, and
breeding from them out of the tallest largest AID
most roOmy mares that can be procured. That such
dams should produce hytrds larger than their sires
il in the natural course of things, aince-as We have
pointed out in our previous papers on horse-breed-
ipg--it is the marc, furnishing the mstrix Of the
foaJ, who gives the size and bone to the progeny.
But why such mares should produce much larger
offspring 10 male infinitely below themselves in
stature than they would bear TO stallion Of their
own race, equal OF even superior to Themselves in
hight, il not to be accounted for by any known prn-
ciples Of pbysiOlosy. The fact is, however, as
stated and the result is not desirable For the mule
of increased size appears to approach somewhat
nearer to the horse in organization, whereas it is
desirable that he should approach nearer to the ass;
he 10 slower and mere sluggish animal il less en-
during of labor, less capable Of toios under extra
ordinary temperatures Of hest-which is one of the
admitted points of superiority in the mule over the
horse-snd, being much HEAVIER in proportion, is
apt TO sink bis small narrow, compressed heofs far
deeper into the ground where tAs soil is deep and
the roads are sticky and tenacious than the smaller
breed, while he will consume from one-6fth TO one
third more provender. Yet even at this he viii con.
sumo so much less, while doing more constant,
though somewhat slower work than the horse, that
three Of the large sized mules may be kept in per-
feet condition on the same amount of food which is
required for the support Of psr Of the nobler ami
mails.
Its evident, therefore, that where mules are not
required for show or speed, 80 saddle OF carriage
animals, they are not aod probably never will DO
in this country, the smaller sized animals are the
more profitable both to raise and to keep for the
purposes Of labor.
Now, it should be unde 1toOd that there are at