The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-04-11

Da6l6Qb, UfaCbaD10, 0dLQ6Om0, PROUD OF
his bells, and adjusting his draught,
picking his path, and altogether under
standing his business better than any
draught-horse has done since the Con-
estoga days. The army-mule has be-
come by-word, and the character OBJ
tanned by his service there may be said
to be almost professional. The steady,
methodical work suits him. He grows
fat upon it, and as the years pass each
mule gains for himself reputation
among the knowing ones. know
stall in the corner of q certain populous
corral in that remote region, where for
IA years has stood sleek and dignifed
mule, known through all the country
as "Mole," from her color. The old
girl has carried the successive COM
manders of that little post many thou
sands of miles, in the numberless
scouting expeditions which have gone
out from thence. She is so old that
her very unfeminine mustaches are
gray. She has long been one of the
personages of the place, and no one
doubts but that Mole has more sense
than the common run of soldiers, and
that if she could talk her opinions
would be valuable.
The mule is the philosopher OF the
animal kingdom. Heretofore the owl
and the raven have shared that reputa-
ton, to the exclusion of all others. 1t
is time that mere stupidity should be
| called by its proper name. The mule
actually thinks. The lack of generous
spirit, which is his notorious fault, is
| the result of a shrewd calculation with
regard to the amount of work he ought
| to do A tired mule will stop in the
road, and no amount of persuasion or
force will induce him to go further,
| while the horse goes on until he dies in
| his tracks But his fbers are tough
| and his endurance wonderful, and he
performs his tasks of which no other
| animal in the service of man on the
frontier is capable. Ninety miles-a
long day and night of ceaseless travel
! without water. Ride up the line past
| midnight, while you shudder to think
| of the desolate track behind, and the
| dreary 20 miles yet to come, and you
will see each long-eared philosopher at
his steady jog-trot, wagging his grotes-
| que listeners backward and forward,
| and pulling on his bits They know
the nature of the emergency as well as
| you do. The nostrils are dilated, the
| eyes have q distressed look, and the
gaunt TANKS throb pitiably. But there
is no dragging, no complaint. On and
on in the gloom, for you do not think
or care how long, and suddenly the
whole line sets up that peculiar cry,
which is not the voice of the horse or
| the ass, neither a mixture of the two.
| You may know the animal for years in
civilization and not hear it. 1t is as
plaintive as the voice of a child. That
cry means the scent of water, perhaps
miles away, and soon you can see upon
| the horizon the stunted trees which
stand sparsely upon the banks of the
Rio Grande, the Pecos or the Concho.
j. W. Steele in Kansas Magazine.
Different Breeds of Long Wool Sheep.
The Leicesters" are usually placed
at the head of the Long-WoOl breeds as
being the finest in form and fleece, and
also because it has been largely used in
crossing, for the impro ement of the
other varieties. The hea is hornless,
and rather long and marrow ears thin,
with spots of blush tinge The long,
well cut ear of the pure Leicester, with
it's sprightlY backward inclination, is
distinguishing characteristic of the
breed, as is also the full prominent eye,
with quiet and lively expression. The
face and forehead must be bare of wool,
though covered with fine coat of hair
white, with a little inclination to the
blush tint. The body is straight, with
ribs we'll sprung and barrel-shaped the
| pelt inclined to be thin; the wool ex-
ceedingly soft, fine and lustrous, and
should be uniform over the carcass.
The extremities-muzzlea and legs ex-
eeedingly fine, but the quarters are full
and wide, with back broad and level.
Indeed, the carcass of the true Leicestel
sheep is as near perfection i'll form as
can be conceived possible.
The Cotswold," though of late years
modified by crosses of the Leicester
blood, and, therefore, strongly resem-
bling that breed, is somewhat coarse and
longer in carcass with heavier fleece,
which should be as lustrous. though not
so fine as the Leicester. The head is
larger, and must have tuft of wool on
| the forehead, which the Leicester never
has.
Lincoln" is as large as the Cotswold,
though in other respects, as now bred,
very strongly resembles the Leicester.
The head is long, the face narrow and
bare of wool, with white, fine hair and
light blush tint as in the Leicester.
They stand rather higher on the leg
than the two varieties before mentioned,
and the carcass is apt to be less symme-
trical but the fleece is longer and
heavier and though not so fine as the
Leicester, is unsurpassed In Iustre, and,
therefore, commands the best prices in
the markets. 1t is difficult to describe
animals so as to enable person to
determine the purebred from the mon
grel indeed, the best judges are not
always able to detect the presence of a
slight dash of inferior blood. One
thing the producer may rely upon-that
Long-Weol sheep peddled about the
country at low prices are never pure
bred. Indeed, blooded stock of all sorts
should be purchased of parties that are
known as reputable breeders-that is
the only reliable security the purchaser
can have that the animal purchased will
turn out what it is represented to be.
The "Southdown" sheep has broad
rather short, though exceedingly neat
head; forehead covered with wool, and
the face and legs with grey or brown
hair. The fleece is rather short, of good
felting quality. equal to half-blood
Merino, but superior for flannel, etc,
and should be solid and compact, and
of uniform quality throughout, without
projecting hairs. The carcass should be
straight, with well-sprung ribs and
broad, level back, having wide quarters,
deep flank and well-packed twist. This
being held in higher esteem than any
other breed for the production of su-
perfor mutton, the full and perfect
development of carcass is de; med of the
highest Importance.
The Hampshire Downs" are coarser
in form and fleece, with black face and
legs.
The Shropshire Downs" are a cross
between the Southdowns and Long
Wools-- a large breed, with long, coarse
wool, in form resembling the Cotswolds,
with black face and legs.
In regard to this matter of the
color of the faces and legs, it is re-
markable that while the Southdowns,
which stand at the head of all these
varieties, have, as before observed,
brown or grey colors in these parts
their crosses on other breed will fire.
quently show black faces and legs.
When the object is to keep a small