The Republican journal., 1903-02-26
WHY YOU SHOULD RAISE MULES
And Why Men Who Do Raise Them Get
Rich.

And Why Men Who Do Raise Them Get
Rich.
10 THE EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL:
The reason it is profitable to raise mules
is that they are cheaper to raise than
any other stock, are less liable to con-
tract disease, and can be marketed ear
lier. If YOU pasture a number of colts
through the grazing season, you will
find plenty of blemishes at housing
time. Mules, on the contrary, have
few, if any, blemishes, and their value
is not decreased by blemishes as in the
case of the horse. They instinctively
avoid holes and dangerous places. A
runaway mule seems to run more for
sport than from fright, and no doubt
the mule we read abo It in The Journal
knew his business and was not taking
any part of Ireland upon his shoulders.
1t proves that the mule is endowed with
instinct, which we rarely see in the hu-
man race, when he refuses to drink
from bucket he is not accustomed to.
Few men would deprive themselves of
drink of water, or of something
stronger, when temptingly offered them
from another mans flask, even if they
should know danger and disease to be
lurking there.
The mule that has been known to de-
YOUR the curtains of an ambulance
wagon, or the raw-hide seat of a chair,
has my heartfelt sympathy; for have
been in places where l was so scantily
fed that frozen apples were sought,
found, and devoured most speedily,
without even thought of being whim-
sical Any kickers, biters, jumpers, or
bEckers, with two, or four legs, that do
not have some, or all of such bad hab-
its, after such treatment, must be rare
exceptions to the common rule. A
frightened horse seems to go crazy and
dashes into anything, while mules seem
naturally to avoid obstacles. Compar-
ed with butter cattle: good COW, fed
to make butter, will consume as much,
or more, feed than a pair of mules from
the time they are dropped until three
years old. In making 80 pounds of but
ter per month for ten months, 300
pounds year, and selling at 20 cents
per h., (often Is cents in three years
you will realize perhaps $3.50. If you
add three calves at SO you will receive
in all s210. Now i'll three years your
mules are ready for the market and
will bring 5000 or 5000 per pair. You
have escaped the milk pail: your family
the churning and caring for the milk;
and you are still ahead.
Nnrserymen are using mules now al
together; they are so careful and obe-
dent, and their steady nerves enable
them to work among young trees with
out breaking OF injuring them. Com
pare the mule with cattle: A steer will
eat as much as a pair of mules. A good
steer at 3 years old may be worth so.
A pair of mules at the same age will
sell from 5000 to $500, and will not have
eaten any more. The longevity of the
mule is remarkable. They often live to
be fifty years old, and are serviceable at
that age.
The writer of this article has just re-
ceived a live stock report printed at
Washington, D. c., February 10, 1908,
giving the average price per head for
mules last year at s67.61. This year
they are valued S7249, showing an in
crease of s4.ss per head.
The reader will probably say, why are
not more mules raised? Simply because
in this State there are no jacks to breed
to. Good mules cannot be raised unless
you breed to good jack. Why don't |
some man got a good jack? Simply be-
cause some men are afraid their neigh
bors will laugh at them for owning a
Jack. So no jack; no mules; no money.
E. M. NJ