The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-12-09
RAI5ING MULES
A BIC INDUSTRY
4 Large Estate in Fauquier De-
voted to Raising These
Animals.
SPLENDID PRICES OBTAINED
Farmers Find 1t Profitable to
See Their Foals When
Young.

BEALETON. VA, Dec. S.-stransers
seeing the sights Of Fauquler DRIFT
naturally 70 Warronton. take n few short
drives out into the surrounding connt7-,
ADMIRE tue scenery. the well-lSept farms
ana tne magnificent horses. are charmed
with the vivacity, culture and beauty M
1.e senuer sex. listen To Interesting
s~olles oi the many men who nave made
inc Old town famous IN past dave and
after a few gllmpses out OF the car win
COWS leave under the impression they
nave seen everything that is worth seeing
in the county. Yet. after due credit h
given 20 o-l other sections, the rest OF the
county cannot furnish as interesting and
1t4lA-ng a show as the mule farm OF o
sh-mate. about TWO miles north OF This
pace II also illustrates in "A remarkable
manner now one man with capital and
enter prise can create an entirely new
l'y "-th "a profit 20 himself and the
practical benefit TO the agricul-
'oI'. class for many miles around
IeW years ago Mr.. o. Shunate ptfr-
chased the Shumate estate. then one OF
t-e most fertile and best kept farms I'm
tna country since when he has increased
nus possessions by the purchase OF adioin-
lis estates, all Of which have been i'm
proved hy better fences-principalIv woven
wire and oak plank-and the bringing -
an the land lp 60 an even. almost perfe.t
system or agriculture. His barns. FOR In
S.-ice. are the largest and best arranged
OF any IN TINS section. and ali painted red
with white trimmings, on n high eieva-
ton, eaten The eye for many miles while
even MS tenant houses are artistic and
inviting 70 n degree tnat would make all
most any city man fall IN love with coun-
Try life.
About three years ago Mir. Shumate de-
cided 70 go 70 raising mules for the South
eru cotton fields. and announced that he
"a nj
colts q year at weaving time and prounis-
ing 10 pay good prices. Inferior or stunned
colts he VIII have at no price. but for
good colts mis- prices range from forty TO
sixty dollars, and even seventy for a four
months Old colt These high nrices and
the ready market opened UP nave resulted
IN a wonderful increase I'm the number OF
mule colts foaled in Fauquier county, in
the last couple Of years. Il encourage
Messrs J. b. Jones & Co. OF Morrisville
TO import thousand dollar JACK from
Kentucky. and three jacks had stands
within two miles OF each other In the
lower end Of the county during the season
just closed.
Other points In favor % raising mules
are that a small mare may get tust as
large a mule colt as a big mare, and IL
is safe to breed q blind mare without fear
spring.
AS mules VIII thrive on coarser feed
than horse. are harder. easier 10 break.
and "a pair three years Old, well matched
In weight form and color and broke 10
work, will bring from $500 20 $500. IL is
easy TO see there is a profit in it 70 the
man who IS properly prepared to take
care OF them.
The matching Of Young mules IS all
ways q very important point % a mule
raiser. as mules are seldom sold singly
The above figures would naturally lead
one 20 wonder why others did not enter
into competition with Mr.. Shumate The
large amount Of capital required to en-
gage IN the business, and the long period
during which this money must lie dor
maut, copied with the high prices he
pays and the possibility Of mules taking
sudden fall IN price about the time the
first Tot is ready for sale easily deters
others. And even though the possible
profits are enormous. Mr.. Shumate de-
serves the greatest appreciation for start
ing up new ind lstry IN which the risks
are so great where the profits 10 Others
are so quick and large
Stubble fields are carefully moved and
the hay stacked 10 furnish the young
mules "a piece between meals" during
tho dead season Of the year Whole
fields of rye are sowcd TO furnish winter
grazing. An experiment is being tried
with alfalfa. Eight acres were ulpwcd
up. covered over with well-rotted harm
yard manure. fifty bushels Of lime APP
piled 20 the acre. and after this was
thoroughly Incorporated with the soil and
al was worked up To a fine uith. the al-
falfa was drilled in along with two hum
dred pounds OF hish-grade fertilizer TO
the acre.
A visit to this mule farm would palm
fully shock the rock-ribbed traditions
held by the average man that kicking.
jumping and general cussedness are
born i'm each and every mule. and are
utterly incradicable. The writer saw Mr..
shumate go out Ina large sIcld and fifty
six yoarling mules came half mile In
answer Co his calls and crowded around
him as affcctiouatciy as so many sheep.
while he walked carclessly through them
stroking faces and pattng shoulders or
rumps ln a way that would make the
knees o. tho uninltiated trcmble. a