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burden it is preferable to the horse, being less impatient under the pressure of heavy weights, while the skin being harder and less sensitive renders it more capable of resisting See also:

sun and See also:

RAIN (O.E. regn; the word is common to Teutonic languages, cf. Ger. Regen, Swed. and Dan. regn; it has been connected with Lat. rigare, to wet, Gr. 13pixeav)

rain. The mule has been in use from See also:

early times; the inhabitants of See also:

MYSIA

Mysia and See also:

PAPHLAGONIA

Paphlagonia are said to have been the first breeders. With the Greeks and See also:

Romans, the latter especially, the mule was valued, being employed to draw carriages and carry loads. In See also:

MODERN

modern times it has been largely used for military transport. The See also:

PRINCIPAL

principal mule countries in See also:

EUROPE

Europe are the See also:

south of See also:

France, See also:

Spain, See also:

PORTUGAL

Portugal and See also:

Italy, where they are used for See also:

pack and See also:

DRAUGHT (from the common Teutonic word " to draw "; cf. Ger. 7'racht, load; the pronunciation led to the variant form " draft," now confined to certain specific meanings)

draught. The See also:

French mules are most numerous on the See also:

BORDERS, THE

borders of the See also:

PYRENEES [Span. Pirineos, Fr. Pyrenees]

Pyrenees, in See also:

GASCONY (Wasconia)

Gascony, and in See also:

POITOU

Poitou. In Spain mules are used in the Catalan provinces, in the mountainous districts of See also:

ANDALUSIA, or ANDALUCIA

Andalusia, and in the See also:

province of See also:

ALICANTE

Alicante. See also:

GOOD, JOHN MASON (1764-1827)

Good draught-mules are bred in La See also:

MANCHA, LA (Arabic, Al Mancha, " the dry land " or "wilderness ")

Mancha and in the districts on the slopes of the Pyrenees, where they are employed to carry loads. But in Spain, Italy, and some other countries they are also extensively used in carriages; in Spain particularly, where large, See also:

FINE

fine mules are bred for this purpose, a pair of these animals will often cost more than a pair of horses. The mules of See also:

ASIA

Asia See also:

Minor, See also:

SYRIA

Syria, See also:

Cyprus, See also:

EGYPT

Egypt and See also:

Algeria, as well as those of the See also:

DISTRICT

district between the See also:

TIGRIS (Old Persian Tigrd, Diklat of the cuneiform inscriptions, Hiddekel of the Old Testament, Diglath of the Targum, Digla of the Arabs)

Tigris and the See also:

Persian frontier and in See also:

North See also:

CHINA

China, are good. In the See also:

PUNJAB

Punjab provinces of See also:

BRITISH

British Intlia many excellent mules are bred, breeding being promoted by the See also:

government. Good mules are reared in North and South See also:

AMERICA

America, the principal districts for breeding them in the See also:

UNITED

United States being See also:

TEXAS

Texas, See also:

MISSOURI

Missouri, See also:

MISSISSIPPI

Mississippi; See also:

TENNESSEE

Tennessee, See also:

ALABAMA

Alabama, See also:

GEORGIA

Georgia, See also:

ARKANSAS

Arkansas and See also:

KENTUCKY

Kentucky.

The Kentucky mules are well shaped and showy, being derived from nearly thoroughbred mares known as Kentucky trotters, while those reared in Missouri are See also:

hardy. The Mexican mule, bred by a male ass out of a See also:

MUSTANG

mustang mare, is also a hardy, strong and useful See also:

animal. France is perhaps the most important mule-raising See also:

COUNTRY (from the Mid. Eng. contre or contrie, and O. Fr. cuntree; Late Lat. contrata, showing the derivation from contra, opposite, over against, thus the tract of land which fronts the sight, cf. Ger. Gegend, neighbourhood)

country in Europe, four centres being more particularly devoted to this See also:

KIND (O. E. ge-cynde, from the same root as is seen in " kin," supra)

kind of See also:

INDUSTRY (Lat. industria, from indu-, a form of the pre, position in, and either stare, to stand, or struere, to pile up)

industry: Poitou, the mountainous districts of central France, the Pyrenees and See also:

DAUPHINE

Dauphine. The mules of these different parts differ chiefly in height; those of Poitou are large, powerful, and long in the body, and are mainly exported to the departments of See also:

LANGUEDOC

Languedoc and See also:

PROVENCE (Provincia, Proenza)

Provence, as well as to Spain, Italy and America; those of Dauphine are of See also:

MEDIUM

medium height, with a short, thick body; while those of the centre and the Pyrenees are lighter and smaller, but more active. Mule-breeding in Poitou is supposed to date from the See also:

time of See also:

Philip V. of Spain, when the particular breeds of horses and asses were imported into that region and Gascony. But there is See also:

EVIDENCE (Lat. evidentia, evideri, to appear clearly)

evidence to show that as early as the loth See also:

CENTURY (from Lat. centuria, a division of a hundred men)

century the mules of Poitou were of excellent quality.

End of Article: MULE (Lat. mulus)

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