Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-11-05
FAMOUS KENTUCKY MULE
AND HIS VIRGINIA COUSIN
Richmond Iias BECOME Great Market,
An Essay on the Patient, Long,
Suffering Animal.
KINGS AND PRINCES TAvoRITE
False Prophecy Machincry Can
Never Entirely Supplant The Grca:
Southern Plow Fuller = Virginia
Must Grow More of Them.

For the past decade Richmond has
been very large mule market. All
the year around. but especially late in
every winter and carly In every spring.
buyers OF mules for the farmers of
North Carolina. South Carolina and
Northern Georgia Gock to this city TO
BUY motive power for the p,ows OF the
cotton fields and the corn fields from
the big stables in this city. and. of
course. all farming Virginia comes to
Richmond 10 buy mules. Contrary TO
the prophes!es OF some of the self
styled wise men" this business is in
creasins from season to season. and
there Is no reason yet to believe that
the automobile and the tractor Will at
any carly date supplant the patient and
long suffering mule.
Too many of these mules that arc
sold to Southern farmers in Richmond
come from Kentucky. In fact. the
greater portion of them come from
that State. but the dealers here arc
doing all they can to encourage Vir-
ginians to raise more mules. Some are
needing the good advise and there are
probably more Virginia raised mules
on the market now than ever before.
The Louisville Courier Journal COM
menting on the high prices the Ken
lucky animal is now bringing, adds a
very interesting essay on the mule.
The Kentucky mule, in war and In
peace, Ii says, always has been an ami
NAL of standing. Always in prosperous
times he has sold well. 1t Is evident
that mule power Is not losing ground
because of the Introduction OF the
traction engine in agriculture and In
warfare.
When mules and feed were lower
la ia
tycic:l democratic mower .or the fam
lily vehicle. Nowadays n touring car
can be bought for less than pair OF
mules, to say nothing OF vehicle and
harness
In Spain the royal carriages still
are drawn by mules. The appearance
OF the children OF Alfonso going for
an afternoon drive behind four stalwart
mules is, awaited by the idlers about
the gates of the great modern palace
at Madrid. or tho old Alcazar in Seville
The King and Queen. upon their return
to Madrid as bride and bridegroom.
were driving a mule drawn carriage
when the bombthrowers attempted their
ASA ssination. Alfonso is fond OF driv-
Ing his racing car, without a chauffeur
or any other attendant, when taking
recreation informally in the environs
Of st. Sebastian and Sairditz. but mules
still are the accepted tractors upon oc-
ca si6ns OF dignity and of state. If they
are Kentucky mules. and sometimes
they are, TIE fact Is boosted. The Ken
;mcky mules reputation is far reaching.
The Duke OF Marlborough. when he
came to New York to marry an heiress,
came to Kentucky to buy a few choice
mules for carriage service. Spaniards
are not alone in their appreciation of
the qualities OF mules produced in Ken
lucky.
at present prices a pair OF sound
mules of the right size stand half way
between the definition Of an asset and
an estate. They never were less demo-
cratic; never more suitable as carriage
animals for royalty. They arc serenely
secure from mechanical competition In
their peculiar field. For both corn field
AMI battle field good mules are In high
demand.