The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-03-25
MULES SCARCE
AS RESULT OF WAR.
South and Southwest Stripped Of
These Valuable Animals.
The RISE IN PRICE. OF COTTON
Makes a Natural Demand Which War.
Has Increased Until Now a Mule
is Worth More Than
Horse.
THE RISE. IN PRICE OF COTTON

There will be famine IN the niue
market in the next few years, as the
result of war, that will prove very .trou-
blesome to the Southern farmers. ms
is the opinion of every mule-ra-ser ana
dealer in the Southwest. 1t has sent "
the price of the sturdy and stubborn an
imal that does the bulk of the farm
work south of the Ohio and Potomac.
and the price still tends upward. ana
will cost the British War Department
half a million more than its original cs--
innate for mules. But, however great the
advance price it will not mend the mat
ter or prevent a famine.
The mule has been found 50 necessary
in war and the American mule SO super
Tor to the Spanish and Italian ANIMAL
that there has been a drain on the mar
ket in this country which it cannot staho.
The market, moreover, was caught In q
somewhat denuded state, with smaller
crop of animals on hand than ever pc
fore. N1ule-raisng for some five or SIX
years had ceased to be as profitable as
heretofore, and many mule growers had
retired from business.
The bulk Of he mule crop Is grown IN
Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky and Ten
nessee, the animal being shipped to the
South and Southwest. There was steady
decline in prices until 1897, when, in con-
sequence of the Spanish war prices adj
vanced. This decline is partly attributed
TO the fall in the value of the horset
due to the greater use OF bicycles. troll
ley cars, etc The horse, however. ms.
fallen on more than the mule In Value,
and the latter, in spite OF lgncote orig
in commands better price. The az
erage value of mule, including sh'
Young and old, is s44.56;s of a horse only
SS74O
Another reason for the decline and de-
cav in the mule industry is the bad con-.
dition of the Southern farmer for some
wears past. With cotton netting only
or 41-2 cents a pound, the Southern
tanner could, with difficulty. meet his
debts and could not afford to make any
improvements, or to purchase any ad-5
ditional stock. The repeal of the sugar
bounty had the same effect upon the su-
gar districts Of Louisiana and leA e.sl
which had previously bought large num-
hers of mules Of the highest grade OF
work on the Mississippi bottoms, reauic-.
ing as they do, deep ploushins Thls
calls for the largest. and finest grade
of animals. generally known in the mar.
%ket as ..sugar mule . costing from 9l23.
to $175 apiece.
LITTLE PROFIT.
With these two markets cut OIL there
was little profit IN mule S'Dreeohus -l4 tis
breeders sold their mares or jacks ana
the annual output of mules fell rom
10000 TO probably $1,000. This change has
been Going on for the last seven or eight
Years or. ever since cotton got SO low
The output of mules. however, was SUN
5cisnt for the immediate needs of thez
country, or nearly 50. There has speens
II IS true. some decrease in the mum Der
IF animals in this country for some years
nast.tt,e crop of young mules not m Ak
ing GOOD the losses Of old animals from
disease and deaf .
Yhis was the condition Of affairs when
Sthe Cuban insurrection brought the mule
hack into favor again and created a.
ssamand for mules. which has continued
! ever since. Just now there is period
~ Wa =. especially in tropical countrtes,s
g,he, the mule is an absolute necessity
The he demand for the animals has, there
sfnre.z Greatly Increased, and at thess lme5
lime. The advance in the price Of cot-S
ron ha s caused the Southern armers to-
innroye their places and increase their
4 t te which they greatly needed. There
s;s . ssfficient amount of mule stock 1T
over Is supply the present deniand.
4 mn srres tiy advaneea Slut hsn
4 his sn = is exhausted Ir Isl going To
cause mule famine az Thesn crops!s