The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1904-11-17

tlon 10 the prontS OF raising mules Tor
the market. Mississippi is especially
favored for this industry, and it is to
be hoped that our people will pay
more attention in the future to the
mule. Joel A. Lowe of Kansas has
this to say about the raising ofmules !:
l. They can be raised cheaper than
any other stock.
2. They will go to the market much
younger than any horse.
3. They can be handled at two
years old, and if properly managed,
will do as much work as four year
old horse, and be the better for it.
4. They are less subject to disease
than any other stock and not liable
to get blemishes by wire or otherwise.
l have raised mules a number of years
and never had one blemished, but have
had fine horses nearly ruined.
5. They avoid danger and do not
get into holes or dangerous places. If
they run away, they seldom hurt them
selves or anything else, much. The
writer has nearly always a good bunch
OF mules and has not been kicked but
twice in twenty years, and both times
by horse.
s. They Stand heat much better
than horses. If you do not think so,
try span on your binder some sultry
day by the side Of your horses.
Z. They can stand more abuse and
hardship than the horse, but appre-
ciate good treatment more than any
other animal living, and live to a
greater age than horses.
8. There is o profit to mule raising
because of quicker growth, being mar
ketable at three years old. A horse
has to be five years old, thus two years
Of feed is saved. / have sold a num-
Der Of two year old mules for $3.50
each.
9. There is always good demand
for mules of from five months up to
fifteen years old Were there a great
er number Of mules there would be
plenty Of buyers. In times of war
mules are always high. An army can
do as well without guns as without
mules. It was during the civil war
that the writer learned to appreciate
the mule.
10. Mules can be raised with less
care than cattle. They will eat straw
and anything that cattle will. In 1900
the writer bought twenty mules at
weaving time; wintered them on
wheat pasture; sold them Jan. LIST,
for 81 ,47O more than they cost him.
The cost Of feeding was about $500.
Put it at $500, and it will leave 500
for the trouble, care and interest on
money. That would seem fair pro-
fit, but the real profit was really
81, 900.
IL. Two mules can be raised until
three years old on the same feed as
one steer. The steer will be worth
from $50 to $40; the mules from $3.50
to $500.
If Mr.. loves reasoning is good,
and that is for the readers Of this de-
partment to pass upon, there is more
and quicker money in mules than any
other stock that Mississippians could
raise.
The Gulf and Ship Island Railway
has been very active since its com
pletion in developing the country con-
tiguous to its line. A resume OF its
work is found in the following:
"During the summer its industrial
agent carried on a truck growers
campaign from one end of the system
to the other. Now this agent has turn
ed his attention to working up inter-
est in the dairy industry along the
line from Gulfport to Jackson. Expe-
rienced dairy men from the north and
west will locate at different points and
engage in the business. This railroad
is doing everything in its power to de-
velop the natural resources Of the
southwestern portion Of the state, and
the people should appreciate its ef-
forts. Before the Gulf and Ship Is
land was constructed few years ago
that portion of Mississippi was will
derness, but today it is the garden
spot Of the state.
Several of the railroad systems that
enter the state are doing this same
work Of development, of course con-
fining their efforts to the vicinity of
their lines. This leaves large por-
ton Of the state with no one to look
after it, as no road is near enough to
take the matter in hand. For this rea-
son alone, if for no other, there should
be a state department for that pur-
pose. The cost of maintenance would
be many times paid in the increased
value of property and the attendant
increase in taxable values and revenue
raised.