The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1909-04-01
MULES FOR THE FARM.

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follows:
We should have to go far to find an
animal SO serviceable for work on the
small farm of light land, and yet SO
much neglected and abused as the ass.
We are told he is obstinate and stu
pid, slow and mischievous. This may
be so as a rule, but, in view of the
fact that so many excellent specimens
are seen, the accusation deserves
some examination. In the first place,
he often has to make out practically
the whole of his living for himself.
When grass is short he browses on
briars and thistles; In winter, as often
as not, he gets no better treatment
than in summer He is so safe to
handle that he is put in charge of
inexperienced children to drive, and
becomes the victim of unreasoning
cruelty and overdriving.
1t is his very excellence that makes
him so much abused. He is badly fed
because he can exist on hard fare;
he is left unsheltered because his con-
stitution is so sound; he is loaded eX-
cessively because he is SO wonderful
ly strong; he is worked persistently
because of his great staying-power; he
is put in the charge of any incompe-
tent driver because he is so eminent
ly sensible and Sure-fOOted.
II a horse, costing as many dollars
to buy as the ass costs and relatively
as inexpensive to keep, had a 1.-THE
of the good qualities of the ass he
would be counted a treasure. The ass
ic nrnc11ponJ 1,nDn onJ frootoI ,,rooo
e~rously because these good qualities
exist az a matter of course, and mo
thanks to him."
1t is pleasant to observe a more ra-
tional and kindly disposition towards
this useful animal. If only from the
point of view of utility, apart from
any sentiment, this disposition should
become universal, the country would
be immensely the gamer. According
to the latest figures at hand, Ireland
contains GOA, 1868 horses, 242,675 asses,
and 30,978 mules and %jennets. 1t
these asses and mules were what we
find them in those countries where
they get proper treatment, the differ
ence to the country would be meal
culable.
LII Iu0 OOuIu VI rlduCS, Ill opdlh,
in Germany, and in parts of the
United States, the ass has developed
into quite a different animal to what
we used to find him. Not only is he
better developed and more powerful,
but his disposition is free from any OF
hat obstinacy SO common. The &C
cusation of being slow falls to the
ground, as it does when asses are in
going form. One knows how hard it is
for a horse to Outpace an ass on the
road, when the ass takes it into his
head to keep up This is a lesson we
might very well study. If the Euro
pean countries were initiated in their
careful selection of breeding stock,
reasonable feeding and general treat
ment, and fair play as regards work,
there would be in a few generations,
developed a breed of asses that would
be a veritable treasure.
Mules combine the hardness,
strength and %soundness of the ass
with the size and weight of the horse.
A big mule is a wonderfully econom-
ical animal of the most enduring pow
ers. There are mules working at the
present day, animals up to 16 hands
high, that seen capable of drawing
any reasonable weight, and always
working freely, without any of the
baking SO common when they are bad
ly treated.
In many country places jennets are
more common than mules. Jennets
are not at all so useful as mules. They
are smaller, less robust in constitu-
ton, and relatively weaker than mules.
Still they are very useful animals in