The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-10-15

Though Not = Handsoms stseo " =
Worth More Than one

| horses by more than is per cent? ~
| make such statement as TINS -
| binary crowd would be certain "
woke direct contradiction Yet sucn Is
the fact as given out by the uhiteu "'a'es
| department of agriculture, ana TINS Ia.
is borne out by the reports Oh .'is csnsu'
| takers for 1880. On the LIST OF January
| last ao avexaQe horse "a this country was
1 worth sc5.01: an average mule S'0os Con-
| sidering this. I am OF opinion ,hat the
| wits who write for the f~nuy papets n"e
as well let our friend the mule aione anu
| find some other subject with wDlcn 10 eh
| cite our mirth But there IS TINS 20 ne sa.a
| in extenuation OF the fun that Is mace
| OF the mule-the mule does not iiiin'
| and his family is in no wise m3e'ea ny
| ridicule or contnmey, however unjust.
There are IN the United States 23l4,699
! mules with a total value OF 8ii'SS-'O'o.
| The principal states in which they are
| bred for both farm use and for sale else
| where are Kentucky, TennesSee' MIS-
| souri, and Texas In the nrst three oi
| these states, the raising OF mules mas peeh
/ al profitable business. In the cotton
| states, where only negro labor Is useu
| and live stock is bred only 10 nun
| tied extent, the mule Is the tarm amman
In almost universal use. treat uroves
| Of these are taken south every spring
| from tho three states named, and are
Il
readily sold at profitable prices Horses
| are subject ia many diseases when muies
| rarely IL ever suffer from Ana theh'
| again, a horse requires attehiuh' nc
| must be fed regularly and 9toouleu care
| fully Without such attention ne 'cly
| rapldly deteriorates A mule, too, thrlVes
| best under such conditions, b0t ne Sa'S
along tolerably well with lessi resn lI,
| feeding and no attention az an Inc
| slpshod way In which the average soo'N-
| ern plantation is managed does not make
| n nv anv means certain that the farm
| animals will be looked after as thsy
| should no. Indeed II is pretty certain
| that they receive as little attention as -
| possible With such ignorant ana care
| less laborers and such Indifferent supsi
| vision on the part Of the masters inc
| use OF horses would entail cost upO"
| the planting Of cotton and sugar 700
| great to be borne. But the mule docs
| tolerably WELL even though MS rauohS pe
| scant and irregular and "A curry coilp
| never tckles his ribs from the time ne
| reaches the plantatiOn until he dies. so
| profitable has the raising OF mules been
| for the southern markets that IN tue
| three states named great attention mas
| been given TO t. and asses nave been I'M
ported from France ara SPAN Tor sFes'
while the dams have been mares IN whose
veins there was the same kind or blood
| that flows I'm the horses We see upon
the turf and the trotting tracks
We have the authority OF the presi-
! dent OF the Royal Veterinary collese VI
London that i'm breeding for mules the
selection of a sire is Of no considerable
importance as those characteristics whlch
the mule gets from the horse are those
that make him valuable as a draft or
farm animal. He says OF the mule' IN
its short thick head, long ears, small,
narrow limbs, absence of chestnut inside
the hooks, and tail destitute or hair at the
root it is asinine; while I'm height OF body
shape Of neck and Group, uniformity
Of coat and teeth, IT is equine" As a
theoretical generalization this distinguish
ed veterinarian is undoubtedly right IN
what he says in this regard, as he Is also,
IL may be, theoretically correct when he
SAYS that a mule neither Weighs as
horse nor brays as an ass, but make a
feeble hoarse noise" Yet / venture 10
say that there IS not a successful mule
raiser I'm the country who VIII not dis
agree with him that the selection OF The
sire Is comparatively OF no Importance
and that neither man, woman or child
south, say, of New York will agree with
him in his declaration THAI the noise
mule makes has anything feeble about IT
whatever.
Texas, next TO Missouri. is the largest
owner of mules, but the average value
of mules Is less I'm the Lone Star state
than anywhere else in the union, me aver
axe there being only S53 80 per mead
This small average is unquestionably due
TO the fact that the mares are more en-
ployed In the breeding are not infrequent-
ly mustangs and the mules are cores
pondingly small and untitled either for
heavy draft work or the carrying OF heavy
packs. over the Mexican border, where
even less attention is paid TO raising
these hybrids, the mules are called bur
ros, and they are sold rather by the doz-
en- than by the head. Further north these
burros. 1t appears. are even less well UNI
derstood An army officer who had been
serving on the Texas frontier had one or
these little steeds for his children 10 ride.
Being ordered TO q northern post, he ship
ped the burro along with his other be-
lodgings. When these had hrrved at
their destination the freight agent ch ack-
ed off the invoice and telegraphed back
that the shipment was short one bureau
long one iackass>
In countries not too cold or wet the
mule has long been esteemed for his
valuable qualities as a farm animal, b
pack carrier, and even as a saddle horse
The Greeks and Romans used them both
IN peace and war, and fhinip V, the last
OF the really great kings Of Spain, en-
couraged the breeding OF them for use
| in the mountain paths OF the Pyrenees
and in the construction OF that great
system OF common highways that he
planned for his people AS a pack ami
NAL his sureness Of foot makes him tn
valuable where merchandise has 70 be
! carried in this primitive manner, or where
the supplies Of an army need 10 be taken
| In country where roads have not been
built. In our war OF the rebellion any one
who remembers ought of the marching 20
and fro of troops will remember the great
wagon trains, with six, eight and ten
mule teams, dragging the quartermaster
and commissary supplies. The mule cut
a pretty important figure in that great
confiist Those bought for the govern
ment were more frequently than not I'M
broken and put at once at work. and un-
der the guidance ef men without previous
experience Of the animals peculiarties.
Much Of their reputation, 1 make no
doubt, for btuDDornness and their general
disrepute has grown from these circum-
stances. 1t is related OF a chaplain
who, with BuelPs command, was hurry
ing TO the cuccor OF Grant at Shiloh,
that he found the road blocked by
stalled team. He at once lent his MS
sistance TO get the obstruction out OF the
way. He yelled and swore at the mules
with zeal and vigor. He cursed the brutes
with all the epithets Of papal excom-
rnunieatioN OF the oiden time. An officer
hearing him rode up and said: Il am
surprised, sir, at your language. The