Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1886-12-10

RAISING MULES.

Raising mules may not seem to be as
"high toned" as raising trotters, yet it
can be depended on, every time, to pay
much better than raising trotters, when
attempted by the average farmer, while
the first outlay is much less with mules
than with horses There is always a de-
mand, at paying prices, for good, young
serviceablc mules, and especially so for
those of good size and substance. When
we take into consideration the hardness
Of the mule, its general freedom from
disease or ailments, and low cost Of rear.
ing it until it is of saleable age, we can
readily see that breeding them returns a
very satisfactory margin of profit.
One great reason why there are so
many poor mules or understood ones, is
because, first, that cheap or ordinary
Jacks are used, principally because they
are near at hand and are cheap, and,
secondly, because many farmers have
carried out the idea, and still do so, that
whenever mare is too old or not good
enough to raise horse colt from, she is
good enough to breed mule colt from.
Is it any wonder, then, that there are
many poor mules. If it is desired to
make mule raising pay, only good, able
bodied mares should be used, and those
with quiet dispositions. Many natur-
ally vicious mule owns its dangerous
disposition TO the same traits in its dam
Our experience also goes to show that
frequently mare will get in foal to a
Jack and not to stallion. Another
thing: if the mares first colt is a mule
colt, if afterwards the mare be bred to a
stallion, the colts will have a certain
"mulish" appearance, but if first bred tc
a stallion, the mare can be bred to q
Jack, and afterwards to stallion, with :
out bad results.
IN the selection Of breeding Jack,
be sure to get and use only the best,
and not small, surcrannuatcd spcci-
men merely because it can be bought
cheap. If you cannot buy such an one
yourself AS will produce extra fine mules,
get one or two of your neighbors to join
you, and then use him in common Far
better not attempt to raise mules than
to begin wrong by using u poor or in
different Jack.
Large numbers of mules are sold, in
our principal city markets, at one, two
and three years old, and many of them are
put 10 work at from two aud a-half to
three years of age, which is much earlier
than horse is Or should be, for steady
work and full duty, if he is expected to
last an ordinary life of usefulness The
saving of time in turning them into
money is thus largely in favor of the
mule, as they can be marketed early,
saving considerable amount in the
food bill, and the kind of food is cheaper
than that which must be fed to horse
colts, to push them along as they should
be. We don't mean to say that mule
colts should not DO we'll fed, for they
should be kept growing well from the
start, but they can and do cat such food,
and thrive on it too, as would be too
coarse to keep horse colt thrifty.
There are few breeders in Kentucky
who make specially in that famous
horse district, of breeding fine Jacks,
from whom good breeding animals can
be readily purchased at fair figure, and
they are equally as good as the imported
Jack. while they possess the additional
desirable feature Of being much cheaper
and much more accessible.