The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1895-10-15
Mule Growing for Profit.

One OF the chief objects IN STOCK
growing is to convert all waste pro-
ducts OF the farm into money; another
Is that you may sell your crops in a
more concentrated form. for as much
or more than the market price, and
the manufacture of cheap fertilizers
For this two-fold purpose nothing
seems TO be more suitable than the
much-noted Tennessee mule. While
it Ia our purpose to show possible
superior profits to be made by mule
growing, it is well to note how very
prosperous our mule grower seems to
be. Many of the large estates around
US have been acquired chiefly by mule
growing. This is so generally true
that We often hear the expression that
any man of ordinary ability who will
devote his time TO mule growing aud
stay out of speculation, is sure of a
competency, aud even independence,
should he live to green old age.
Our great drawback TO mule grow
ing is the capital necessary to the
business. To stock your farm with
mules requires as much capital as
your farm cost You, aud most of us
| would prefer two farms to one farm
and few mules. If, as it seems, a
a few mules will bring another farm,
how may we best get the mule? Let
our work stock be mares such as are
capable of raising the green sugar
mule" We mean by this mules can
be grown to 1873 to 1872 at q to 3
wears old. How NAV we know when
we have such maresp Why. we be-
lieve in the old rule. like begets like"
and, since the mule is TO be used sole
ly for draft purposes, it stands good to
re ason that the best draft mare bred
to the best draught jack would pro-
1uce the desirable mule, and so it
| will, but what is the best draught
mare? 1t is not that big overgr0wn,
water jointed, lifeless monstrocity of
mo certain breeding. Such animals
cannot carry their own weight very
far, while draught mare is that
mare, regardless of breed, that can
carry the greatest weight the greatest
distance in given time. By this test
such mare is not likely to be the
largest individual of any breed, but a
m adium mare of a large breed OF fam
lily. She should have weight and
style, good dark, solid color, good,
fiat bone, aud big, blocky feet, with
legs that cannot be blemished. But
after oil, the only true test is try her
aud il her colt is three feet four inches
or more, and bnilt right, the mare a
good suckler, don't be duped into SELL
ing her, for on such hinges your sue
cess. What we have said of mares
4
may be largely applied to the jack.
But since the mule Is the product If
mans invention, it has been observed
that the head, ear, foot and bone are
largely controlled by the jack and the
mares give the body; see that your
jack has good head, ear, foot and
bone, with good color; and don't for
get 10 look to his pedigree. See that
his ancestors on both sides are as good,
or better than he. Don't risk a first
class jack that has a scrub for its dam.
What about that expression we SO of
ten hear, IF you want good mule,
breed to the ugliest jack You can find"
WHY, it only proves what there is in a
pedigree. See If his full brothers are
not high priced, royal fellows, with a
full harem of jenetts; see if his crook
ed legs and other defects are not di-
rectly caused by the neglect Of his
owner Cor Southern Stock Farm,