The Value of Harnessing properly.—­In working any animal, and more especially the mule, it is both humane and economical to have him harnessed properly, Unless he be, the animal cannot perform the labor he is capable of with ease and comfort, And you cannot watch too closely to see that every thing works in its right place.  Begin with the bridle, and see that it does not chafe or cut him, The army blind-bridle, with the bit alteration attached, is the very best bridle that can be used on either horse or mule.  Be careful, however, that the crown-piece is not attached too tight.  Be careful, also, that it does not draw the sides of the animal’s mouth up into wrinkles, for the bit, working against these, is sure to make the animal’s mouth sore.  The mule’s mouth is a very difficult part to heal, and once it gets sore he becomes unfit for work.  Your bridle should be fitted well to the mule’s head before you attempt to work him in it.  Leave your bearing-line slack, so as to allow the mule the privilege of learning to walk easy with harness on.  It is too frequently the case, that the eyes of mules that are worked in the Government’s service are injured by the blinds being allowed to work too close to the eyes.  This is caused by the blind-stay being too tight, or perhaps not split far enough up between the eyes and ears.  This stay should always be split high enough up to allow the blinds to stand at least one inch and a half from the eye.

Another, and even more essential part of the harness is the collar.  More mules are maimed and even ruined altogether by improperly fitting collars, than is generally believed by quartermasters.  It requires more judgment to fit a collar properly on a mule than it does to fit any other part of the harness.  Get your collar long enough to buckle the strap close up to the last hole.  Then examine the bottom, and see that there be room enough between the mule’s neck or wind-pipe to lay your open hand in easily.  This will leave a space between the collar and the mule’s neck of nearly two inches.  Aside from the creased neck, mules’ necks are nearly all alike in shape, They indeed vary as little in neck as they do in feet; and what I say on the collar will apply to them all, The teamster has always the means in his own hands of remedying a bad fitting collar.  If the animal does not work easy in it, if it pinch him somewhere, let it remain in water over night, put it on the animal wet the next morning, and in a few minutes it will take the exact formation of the animal’s neck.  See that it is properly fitted above and below to the hames, then the impression which the collar takes in a natural form will be superior to the best mechanical skill of the best harness-maker.