MULE l'r. mule. from Lat. ',lulus.
mule) hylo id animal. the offspring of the male mist 1111.1 the mare. valued as a beast of burden. The ears are long; the head. crop, and tail resemble those of the ass rather than those of the hor-te; hut in hulk and stature the mule approaches more nearly to the horse. The mule scents to excel both the ass and the horse in intelligence: its rimers of muscular endurance are remarkalde: and its sure-foutedness particu larly adapts it to mountainous countries. It is easily kept. (Aaiun's hunger and thirst better than the horse, lives to a great age, and is com paratively free from disease. (;rent care is be stowed on the breeding of mules in lientucky, and some other Central States, in Alexico, and in Spain and Italy, and mules of particular districts are highly esteemed. In _\incrica, mules are of greatest importance in the Southern States. Missouri. Mississippi„ and Georgia each have over 200.000. The cotton and sugar-eane plantations utilize large numbers because they are easily and eheap ly kept. As in other hybrid animals generally,
males are more numerous among mules than fe males in the proportion, it is said, of two or three to one. There is no instance on record of off spring produced by two mules; but instances occur, although rarely, of the female mule pro ducing offspring with the horse and with the ass. The nude is very superior in size, strength. and beauty to the hinny, the offspring of the male horse and the female ass. Several breeds of jacks have been used for producing mules. The (hie( breeds mire Andalusian, Maltese, Catalonian, Italian, and Majorcan. The Catalonian is the best of imported breeds, but in the United States the native jack, a mixture of all breeds, is most used. Mack is the preferred color, and the jack should be of good size. The mare should also be well-bred and of good form and color. In the Southern mules are divided into two classes, the smaller ones 'cotton mules,' and the larger 'sugar mules.'