The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1915-11-04
Unnecessary for State 70 Send
Away Large Sums for This
Product Annually.
BIG DRAIN ON RESOURCES
Money Now Spes< For Mules Wossd
Purchase Good Draft Mares From
Which to Obtain huIes-Points oa
Care of Marc and Colt-HcEae
Raised Mvies as Good as Any.

The trenasndous etr$lay Tor nuie
power on the farm eaA be eliminated
10 q large extent h South Carolina.
Already a considerable number q fao-
mers in the state ass raising their
nules at home and II this policy h
adopted By all the states farmers, tAe
large annual drain on the states re-
sources for this product viii be
stopped.
Invested In brood mares, the
amount usually spent for mules wosld
purchase large. well-bred draft mares
Of the right type for producing mules.
The cost of raising mule colts ON the
farm to an age at which they can be
put to work is ebout $50 each, when
even every item in the process rs
charged against him. This amoxnt
sounds large, but the fact is that most
of it is charged against things that
are not missed on the average farm,
since the colt can be developed large
ly on pastures and products OF the
farm that would probably not be mar
keted in any other way.
Mares selected for mule raising
should be Of draft type, with quality,
and should weigh about 1,40o pounds,
though smaller mares are used with
good results for producing mules ct
light weight. If mares are bred to
foal in fall, when work on the farm is
usually lighter and fall pastures are
good. they need lose very little tine
during the year from their work in
the field. Light work is beneficial to
a brood mare even up to the time OF
foaling, and the resultant colt Is
stronger end more thrifty because Of
it, provided the mare has been proper
ly nourished with succulent feed for
few weeks before foaling.
The average period of CESSATION, or
time between service and foaling, is
about $40 days or II months, although
this varies somewhat in both diree-
tons. With this information, farm
er can have his mare foal at about the
proper time.
The pregnant mares grain rahoa
should be propordoned to the amount
Of work she does. About three weeks
before foaling, wheat bran should be
added to her feed, the proportion Of
this being gradually increased and
ether grain proportions decreased as
foaling time approaches. Her food
should be altogether free Of nohy
grain OF woody fodder q straw.
An essential point Is to give tho
mare in foal large roomy box stall.
After fcaliag. mares should rest for
q bout two weeks before being put back
at work
Give the mare and her colt as msoh
pastumge as possible, with the sddi.
tio1 of bran and grain while the colt
is young. Care and attention are es.
sential to mature the colt to proper
size and grain should be given to it
regularly with its pasturage or clean
hay.
Do not let colt follow its mother on
the road or in the field. Do not let a
colt suck while the mare Is overhead.
ed. Always let the mare cool off first.
That mules can be raised profit
ably in South Carolina has been dem
onstrated by several farmers in the
state, who save the expenditure usual
ly made for mule power and claim for
the home-raised mule many advan-
tages over its imported competitor.
Write to Sidney S. Rittenberg, Glenn
son College, for an itemized statement
OF q comparison of mare and mule.
JOHN o. WILLIAMS,
Livestock Demonstration Agent,