The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1914-08-29
Why Use AduIer-
ated Horses

IenIlOn TO the TdplQlty WIFI WfllcH
mules are increasing in numbers in
the United State, which is warning
every breeder must give heed to. The
horse is not threatened with extinc-
ton ebcause the horse is needed for
the production of the mule.
The pleasure automobile is respon-
sible for the disappearance of the rid
ing and driving horse. Owing to the
fact that there no longer are any great
number of coach stations throughout
the West, the marketable wagon
horse which was usually cross be-
tween a good grade draft mare and
the coach horse has greatly fallen of
in quality.
Obsession of Southern Farmer
The awakened south is cultivating
a larger acreage than ever before and
the Southern States within the last
decade have taken in deeper ploughing
to the use of heavier machinery re.
curing a larger work animal for
their fields. The Southern born far.
mer is obsessed with the idea that an
adulterated horse is superior to the
genuine article. Unable 20 cope suc-
cessfully with the new conditions, he
has sought to remedy matters by de-
handing a large sized animal of tn.
same perverted strain. To supply
this demand for big mules, the best
pure breed draft or grade mares must
be withdrawn from horsebreeding. In
order to get a large mule well coupl-
ed up, good breeders use large marc
with a medium sized JACK. The mule
gets nothing from the jack except his
thick head and Discrimination to
work. A good mule must have as
much horse in him as it is possible to
obtain
The value of geldings descends, as
the value of the mules ascends. The
value of draft mares suitable for
breeding purposes is rising very rapid
ly. The market for geldings has beer
foreshortened in the cities by the ad.
vent of the auto truck. The farmer
can no longer afford to breed his
mares to stations as only half mis-
produce finds ready market. The
colt raising farmer keeps few geld
lngs about his place. 1t is hard to
part him from mare. In several
states not heretofore reckoned among
breeding states, advanced southern
farmers have been buying mule mares
to do their work while raising mule
colts to sell to their less enlightened
neighbors. Within the last few years
for instance, Mississippi has become
almost self-supporting in the matter
of raising mules. The large mule
mares do not show to advantage in
the cotton fields, being selected for
size, strength and breeding capacity.
not for agility. 1t is like using )
ton truck to do the work of light
delivery wagon. Were these splendid
mule mares bred to courageous stand
ard bred horse lines, the result would
be work animal suited to the needs
of the South. By line breeding any
size and weight could be obtained A
new breed could be established. Call
it the Southern Horse The produc-
ton of such a breed would add greatly
to the wealth of the southern states
and they could point to it with pride.
Mule Does Not Eat Less Feed.
There is one popular belief, fable,
falsehood or fabrication, call it what
you like, which never fails to appear
in an article treating of this famous
hybrid. The writer in the Herald
falls for it, in this wise, viz: "That
mules consume far less than horses
in proportion to the work they can G.
is universally admitted. Experienced
men have said that :ess than two
thirds the food necessary to keep
horse in order will be required by a
mule doing the same work.
Experiment after experiment has
been tried at the agricultural stations.
They have fed clover timothy, prairie,
cowpea, johnson, alfalfa, wheat, bar
ley, oat and mixed hay, besides var
ious folders, straws and ensilages
with every possible combination of
bran, oil meal, corn and cobmeal, gll.
ter meal, cotton-seed meal, tankage,
oats, harley, ear corn shelled corn
cracked, dried blood. vegetables, sug-
ar, mc!a 5ses and what not, separate
and combined, ground and unground,
in all conceivable proportions, meet
ing with one unvarying result that,
pound for pound it takes as much to
keep a horse in condition as it does
mule. The expense of maintenance
depends entirely upon the price of any
of the above or other foods, at the
particular station in which the expert
ment is tried. Any person ! aally de-
string to know and set forth the truth
should take the trouble to consult the
bulletins of the agricultural expert
ment stations on the feeding of farm
horses and mules. A simple collputa-
ton from North Carolina No. 1S9,
Missouri No. Id, Illinois No. $50
Kansas No. 1856, Kentucky, No. 176
and one by Ohio on the same subject
establishes beyond question of doubt
that upon the same feed, working the