Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-09-01
farm, Gasaen 4 Nplsehpld,
From the Country Gentleman
HrFrE.E@ w. HOHSES.

I have for the past four years been more
and more convinced that the mule is far the
more profitable animal to raise or keep for
work. The following is a comparative state
ment Of the cost Of raising, value of animals,
and comparative profit on raising the mule
and horse. Mules got BY imported or half
breed jacks will mature for work or market at
two years old; the horsefrom four to five years
old. The average working life of mule Is
say twenty years; instances are known OF
their living to eighty years, and It IS not un-
usual TO see animals of thirty and thirty five
years of age at work regularly. The aver
age working life ofthe horse is say nine years;
many horses | am aware work more years.
but / think it ia generally conceded that the
averaoe win not exceed that time. The risk
of raising a mule colt il much less than the
horse. because of their more hardy nature
disease being almost unknown among them.
To obtain the cost of the two animals when
ft for service or sale, We will assume she
cost of stallion and jack at the same price
gay twenty dollars. The first year the cost
Of either colt is but very little, say ten dol
colt and horse colt Will be the same, although
a mule as general thing does not eat but
two-tbirds as much as a horse 1t beng more
forward at two years old, we place II at the
same cost. At this time we sell the mule,
sag at $500. The third and fourth year We
saw the horse colt costs but S25 each to
raise. and is then sold at $500, which IS
good average. The cost Of the two animals
appears as follows; Mule cost of colt, SO;
expense of keepingtvo years. S55; interest
on cost and keeping at per cent? 50 ma
king a total of S5s cost, whleh deduct from
is sale and add interest on money for the
t,zo wears to bring ii to date of sale Of horse,
=sZO0-S5s-$142 and interest at s per
cent, SO s4-$15s 81, net profit on mnie
To date Of sale of horse. Now the cost OF
horse colt, $50; expense Of keeping tive
wears. s35; interest on cost Of keeping, 50
axpense of keeping two years more, $50; In
serest on keeping, S4 so; making total OF 81
u so, which deduct from amount received
for horse, $500, leaves profit on raising mule
sl5s s. croft on raising horse, S87 so;
excess of profit in raising mules over
horses. 81 81, or almost as much as IS real
lied for raising horse.
This amount seems large, but when COM
pared with the actual profit to the user OF the
animal. it is small. The working life Of
horse being 9 years, and the mule 20, one
mule viii last as long as and 2-9ths horses
Therefore to do two hundred dollars worth
of mule work, II requires S444 44-100ths,
besides interest on the cost of capital. as
gume both mule and horse TO be useless at
the end of twenty years, which is not actu-
slly. so. but near enough to show the eom-
parison. The saving of hay and grain as fed
the two animals by the army, being one-third
less for the mule than the horse amounts,
hay calculated at $50 ton and corn at 81
bushel, to $50 81 year. Interest avera-
ged at ten years on entire amount of saving,
S6lo 20=S366 u, or total Of 1915 81 saved
in feed and interest of money, which add to
the cost of horse flesh used up, 81, ,42O 76,
from which deduct the cost Of mule, 500,
leaves a profit of sl,22O 76 for persons do
ing the same amount of work with mules for
twenty years over those who have horses for
the same work.
The greatest difference in the world can be
obtained by using good OF bad animals to
breed from; and if any one has a bad mule,
/ hope they viii not condemn the entire hy-
brid, but seek to to improve the next by eros
sing better bloods.-R. S. J., Nashville,
Tenn