The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-05-15
THE MULE

.t.... HE l.
The mule certainly is not akin to
religion; yet the ones who condemn
the mule, like those who condemn
religion, are the people who have had
no, experience with it, or have not
given it a fair trial. Very rarely is
the mule given a fair trial. From his
birth he is maltreated because of a
reputation not founded on any natural
traits of his, but on misapprehension
of his character. Let the mule be
treated as is the horse and he is more
docile and trustworthy than the horse.
To this I can testify from personal
knowledge. The best and most agree
able team 1 over handled was a span
of mules. They had been raised right
and trained right. They never kicked
at me; and [ could drop the lines and
leave them safely for an hour. Unless
the mules temper has been soured by
abuse he will not kick SO readily. as
the horse, because he is not so easily
alarmed; and for the same reason a
mule that has been properly handled
is less liable to ruiz away. The mule
is not near so apt to be sick as the
horse; will eat without question in
ferior food; will endure hardships
better, being less nervous, and wastes
less of its strength; eats less than the
horse and will do work. In
short is much more economical and
even more agreeable to handle when
you know how to handle it. And the
way to handle a mule is the way to
handle a horse-by kindness and in
telligence and frmness. = ..
The mule is longer lived than the
horse. I have handled a span of
mules that when thirty-fve years old
did as much work as any team. They
had been kept hard at work over since
they were two years old.
AS for the longevity of the mule,
who has not heard that "the mule
never dies ~ The mule lives longer
because it frets less, being less nervous,
because it's breeding and conditions
for many centuries have made it less
subject to disease. It does not there
fore break down as soon as the horse,
it's hoofs r tougher, so is it's hide
the flies have a poorer show OF it.
The Southern planters found the
mule just the animal for hardships,
lack of care, abuse, and for ignorant
and careless drives. The negroes
were both ignorant and careless.
There is no need to argue whose fault
it was, the fact is certain; and for de-
cades the mule was in the hands of
men incompetent and known to be in
competent to handle horses. The
negro roundly abused the mule. More
than this the negro likes fun, and
naturally in his then condition fun to
him was often the torment of some
animal; the mule from the time it first
stood upon it's feet was tormented.
Now the mule, though patient and
docile as few animals are, under good
treatment, has a wonderful memory
for i'll usage and a passion for revenge.
Like all other animals, just as it is
capable of appreciation Of good treat
"ASh IN VI 4OIo1A UuCIOlO1, 50 is IL
capable of appreciation of bad treat
ment and of return therefor; and sub
jected to the torment for fun humor
of the darkey, and his disposition to
be lordly over what he could, it is not
strange that the animal did man
scandalous things that gave him a bad
reputation extending throughout the
South and into the North.
Luckily matters have been radically
changed, and under decent conditions
the mule is rapidly obliterating the,
prejudice against himself.
The mule is justly reputed to be
stubborn. Stubbornness is simply
will power diverted to wrong uses.
This diversion is due usually to some
fault of man, not of the mule. So
long as will power is kept in proper
channels, the more the animal has the
better. Whenever the greater will