The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-21
RAISING MULES IN
old VIRGINIA
Continued from First Page.)

Which are shipped into Virginia anc
sold each year.
What IIns Been Shown.
The writer has near neighLor who
has demonstrated that II farmer car
raise his own mules, and get 4 lot Of
good work out OF the brood mares
Our friend raised and was working uT
to few weeks ago ten muics-rulsce
OH his plantation. All of these ami
mails were sired by medium sized
Jacks, some OF them were out OF
grade Perchison mares. others out oil
ordinary medium sized, say 1000.
pound mares. The mules out OF tho
grade Percherson mares attained bet
ter size, as could naturally be eX.
pected. a pair of these Virginia
raised mules tipped the scales al q
Ing TO prevailing prices on our To-
cal city mule markets, this pair
should easily bring $500. The other
mules in the lot OF ten head above
mentioned. probably averaged from
900 to 1000 pounds In weight All OF
them have been doing hard and steady
farm and road work The Jams OF
these mules did their full share OF
farm work, losing very little time on
account OF the foals
The Right Sort OF Mares.
In the successful raising OF mules
tne selection of mares Is an impor,an,
factor. Size and conformation count
for good deal, for the understood i'll
shaped mare is not likely to raise n
line looking ilne sized mule Then
young mares are the sort to use Tor
breeding purposes There is nothing
in starting out with aged broken
down mares that can be bought In
,ne large cities. at prices that arc
termed cheap. They are not cheap at
all certainly not for breeding pur-
poses, Many OF these aged animals
VIII not breed. Anyway there is al
ways the chance for them not to do
SO Mares of this class, say ranging
from twelve 10 sixteen Years OF are
nave In all probability been at work
on the city streets since they werc
iiVe wears old Numbers of then, have
never been bred, and tho chances are
mat ihey won breed. OF course, there
are exceptions to the general rule.
otasting out With mares from three
20 h'e years OF age. the farmer should
ne bile to count on a colt from cach
OF ,hem' barring accidents. The
weight OF these should ran~c from
i'+oo 10 LOO pounds. They SHOULD be
SOUND and we'll SHAPED. Such mares
could probably be bought at from
sSoo TO $500 pair. according to time
oi year and general market condi-
working the nrood Mares.
mere is no reason in the world for
enc farm mare tthnt is al Tho s,n,
!ime brood :nareJ 10 liv. ,jfn -,
.u.sss' on the contrary. s,eady
- oeacht 10 her. only IL must
ne UNDERSTOOD by her driver that shn
orooo mare. bringing in a double
each year; therefore she must
nor % snaiched about or otrerw,se
,nist-eated, but mus, be ou,etl, ~.
uieu wei fed and propcrls, housed ana
oedded. Under such conditions CIV.
"lil easily give her owner ten monnhs.
hohest 'hrln work out OF the twelve
IN adaltion 10 raising good mule
colt
Tue Selection of the Jack,
Size and proper CONFORMATION ara ~
be sought for IN the choice OF tho tack
as wen as In the choice OF the mars
rom 500 to 1000 pounds would be a
desirable weight; then good shan.
4ood. clean legs. and good f.c,. Iihc
c'i'r is matter OF fancy 10 :, cert,i,
h"trh'' as good mule of any color
WI nrihS the price
tnrc Of Mule Colts.
80" We come 10 ono OF tho mos,
important features OF proliiall. mn.
'"'"'ns iour mares ana your lack
may have been o the best: yol;r coI,s
may nave come safe and sound, ana
ma Have prospered until weaving
''ih-. put II thay are III fed and neg
'"tted generally during their first
"'Htcf, you are throwing away your
DDeAt chhhG" TO make any money rails
ing muies litter not 20 into tho
"a al
on good class breeding stock and ,h.n
to lose the profit by ncglccting the
young colts
Taking for granted tina, YOU have
t"oa pdsturagr ana that ynur colts
come carly IN tho spring. by lnids,Im-
MGR they wi) De tniiu;, grars. and b,.
tAc TINE they are fiiiy wcancd. gf,y ~,
ipHr months, there viii BE- In our Vir-
Sihia climate. month or IG1rc of
S'od grazing ~ 20 November /. So
INC colts can get q living 81 tn. naIdy
hftrr that TIM and until the grass ~
WGl ~ the following spring thcy
sh"nid bc alrcn gord bright hay, all
A4c| VIII cal Jp ci"aB. and In addition
20 THIS some grain nigh; and morning
NOT 50 mlch, hnt 81, lcasi enough 10
h"kc 'nsm Emo" th.y are getting #,
and. AT The sam. time enough OF II 10
SHOW cheir owner mat by ,hc.r con
dit!on they are receiving The right
kind o, feed
corn 'tover. straw, shucks aud such
foush forage ane all ws!i enough ia
ihe!F place hpt that place tx not in.
side Of young oo!--ccrtuiuly moi as
"A constant winter feed Tho TOO ill.,
crai use Of Euch' provanG0r generally
induces Il powerful abdominal growth,
heithcr conducive 10 symmetry ~ form
nor app"h Hnnce; certainly not to yiRpr-
o"s muscular dcvrioDmcn'. 50 far ~
We grain ration j. concerned, one con.
sisting entirely uf corn may ~rll D.
supplemented hy some on,s aud brtu
Winter GrnziUH.
Whenever weather conditions tuct1uit