under no circumstances, be done.  The proper course to pursue, and I say so from long experience, is to stop the team at once, and let all the traces out to a length that will allow the swingle-tree to swing half way between the hock and the heel of the hoof.  In other words, give him room enough to step, between the collar and swingle-tree, so that the swingle-tree cannot touch his legs when walking at his longest stride.  If the above rule be followed, the animal will not be apt to touch the swingle-tree.  Indeed, it will not be apt to touch him, unless he be lazy; and, in that case, the sooner you get another mule the better.  I say this because one lazy mule will spoil a good team, invariably.  A lazy mule will be kept up to his work with a whip, you will say; but, in whipping a lazy animal, you keep the others in such a state of excitement that they are certain to get poor and valueless.

There is another advantage in having the drawing-chains worked at the length I have described.  It is this:  The officers that formed the board that recommended the drawing-chain, also recommended a number of large links on one end of the chain, so that it could be made longer or shorter, as desired.  If made in conformity with the recommendation of that board of officers, it can be let out so as to fit the largest sized mule, and can be taken up to fit the shortest.  When I say this, I mean to include such animals as are received according to the standard of the Quartermaster-General’s department.

CHAPTER II.  THE DISADVANTAGES OF WORKING MULES THAT ARE TOO YOUNG.

A great many of the mules purchased by the Government during the war were entirely too young for use.  This was particularly so in the West, where both contractor and inspector seemed anxious only to get the greatest number they could on the hands of the Government, without respect to age or quality.  I have harnessed, or rather tried to harness, mules during the war, that were so young and small that you could not get collars small enough to fit them.  As to the harness, they were almost buried in it.  A great many of these small mules were but two years old.  These animals were of no use to the Government for a long time.  Indeed, the inspector might just as well have given his certificate for a lot of milk cows, so far as they added to our force of transportation.  Another source of trouble has been caused through a mistaken opinion as to what a young mule could do, and how he ought to be fed.  Employers and others, who had young mules under their charge during the war, had, as a general thing, surplus forage on hand.  When they were in a place where nine pounds of grain could be procured, and fourteen of hay, the full allowance was purchased.  The surplus resulting from this attracted notice, and many wondered why it was that the Government did not reduce the forage on the mule.  These persons did not for a moment suspect, or imagine, that a three year old mule has so many loose teeth in his mouth as to be hardly able to crack a grain of corn, or masticate his oats.