Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1883-01-27
THE MULE.
Over worn out hands--Oh,

Southern Industries.
We copy below an article written by
the late Mark r. Cockrill on the mule,
which, like everything from the pen OF
that gentleman, is full of sound, prac-
teal sense. The article was written in
1854, but is as applicable to the pres
ent as if it had been prepared at the
present timei
"The mule is the great field laborer
in the commanding staples Of the
South, cotton, sugar, and rice; and as
he is one of the annual exports of Ten
nessee, and as he will continue to be
so, he is destined to hold even a higher
position than heretofore among the
live stock of the State. The large,
heavy-boned mules produced from
Overgrown jacks of excessive heavy
bone or improper pampering are gen
orally lazy, or soon become 50 by la
Dor, and become very slow; their dri-
yer may force them on. but in few
steps they take their slow, natural gait
again. Such mules are, therefore,
almost worthless, and should not be
bred, If it can be avoided. The most
perfect mules are not to be expected
from the excessively large, coarse
boned jacks, or excessive high feeding,
but from the laws of nature carried out
to the greatest perfection by skillfuI
breeding and feeding.
San error has existed for many
years, and still exists, concerning the
size of mules. Size has been made
measure of value, almost regardless b
form and spirit; and so it has been il
: their sire, the jack.
81 have been employing mule team
for twenty-five years in the cultivation
$ of cotton in Mississippi, and my team
+ now numbers one hundred. In thi
time have used every variety of tn
mule Except the most inferior kind
which has ever been grown. At tn
7 commencement of my planting operf
tons l adopted the prevalent error tbs
size was the measure of value; an
. pursued it for many years, much to m
A prejudice. By long trial, and by con
'r pairing the relative performances an
lastingness of the large team which
have used, aided by observation an
l., reflection, / am fully satisfied that II
u medium-sized mule, full of spirit an
n. action, with a neat, firm leg, and
&c round body, with his levers set rig
ly for easy motion, his head and ears Il
y" US ready to move at the word, is the al
its NAL of most value of his kind.
of "The laws of nature cannot be vi
, lated with impunity. The jack, VIII
Il grown within the scope of these Law
ot. is a small animal; the mule mediu
is between the jack and the horse. BO
m, the jack and the mule, by a hot-b
to growth, may be forced to be large a
mails. But in this forcing process, nj
more extensively pursued by Kentuc
than any other State, what has be
gained, and what has been lest ? III
have gained large bone, coarse amin
re of large size, and at an early age +
of defects, and soon ready to dec
because subject to disease, and la
Mn, consumers of food. They have
less symmetry, spirit, action, lasting end
ance, and permanent value.
:. THE farmers of Kentucky seem
~ to have taken a proper distinction
tween animals intended for active
&K, Dor and those intended for the slaugf
eer. pen. The mule must be Ia
{, enough to master his draught; an
medium size is large enough for all
nng work of the South, which is and
eli continue to he the great market
mule growers.
usic THE error that | especially ain
"a is the abandonment of almost ev
thing else for size. The best comb