called mining mules. They are used to haul cars of coal or ore to the hoisting shafts. These mules are massive, having deep bodies and short legs. They stand from 12 to 16 hands high and weigh from 600 to 1,350 pounds, the height being determined by the depth of the vein worked. Geldings are preferred to mare mules for this trade.

Cotton mules.-These are small, light-boned mules, used in the South on cotton plantations. They possess much quality and finish and are taller in proportion than mining mules. Cotton mules stand 13.2 to 15.2 hands high and weigh from 750 to 1,100 pounds. Mare mules sell better than geldings in this class.

Sugar mules.-These are mules purchased to be used on the sugar farms of the southern states. They are taller, larger and more breedy looking, with quality and finish, and have heavier bone than cotton mules. They stand 16 to 17 hands high and weigh from 1,150 to 1,300 pounds. Mare mules are the more popular.

Export mules.-During the past few years an export trade of considerable importance has developed. The size and type of mules exported are determined by the use to which they are put, and the country to which they are sent. Since some are used for army service, some for agriculture, some for heavy teaming, and others in the mines, it is apparent that they lack uniformity of type.

RULES OF AUCTION

In the auction ring, sales are made under certain wellunderstood rules which are published and are announced from the auction stand, and serve as a guarantee. The following are the more important rules:

Sound. Perfectly sound in every way.

Serviceably sound.-Practically a sound animal, barring slight blemishes, which do not interfere with his usefulness in any way.

Wind and work. The animal must have good wind and be a good worker, nothing more.

Work only. He must be a good worker, nothing more. Legs go. The animal must be serviceably sound in all respects but his legs, on which no guarantee is placed. At the halter.-Sold just as he stands without any recommendation.

Some market terms.—On the large horse market there are a number of terms used to designate undesirable characters, of which the following are the more important: A bull. Horse with unsound wind.

Bush. To deduct a part of the stated sale price because the horse was not as represented.

Coon footed.-Long and low pasterns.
Green horse. Not thoroughly trained.
Hipped. One hip lower than the other.
Hog back. A roach back.
Jack. A bone spavin.

Light in the timber.-Light bones.
Lunker. A big heavy boned horse.

Michigan pad.-A puff below the hock.

Nicked. Operation severing cords on one side of the

tail to straighten it.

Parrot mouth.-Upper jaw longer than lower one.

Rough behind.-Having a bone spavin.

Rounding hock.-Having a curb.

Smooth mouth.-An aged horse.

Speck in eye.-Spot on eye may impair sight.

Stump sucker. A cribber.

Whistler.-Defective wind.

CHAPTER XXXII

PRINCIPLES OF HORSE FEEDING

To become skilled in horse feeding we should have a knowledge of the principles of feeding. The broader our understanding of the composition of the animal body, the composition of food, its use and digestibility, and the more familiar we are with the function of the various food materials, the more intelligently can we choose the foods that the body needs for maintenance and energy.

The animal body.-The body of the animal is composed of water and dry matter. Approximately one-haif of the body weight consists of water, which the animal obtains largely from the water it drinks, though a portion may come from the food, particularly when the animal is given succulent food, as grass, carrots, and the like. The water of the body serves a number of purposes, chief of which are the conveying of the food from the digestive tract to those parts of the body where it is used, the removing of the waste of the body and equalizing body temperature.

Dry matter of the body.-To gain a clear conception of the relation of the food to the body, the dry matter may be divided in four groups of substances, as follows: Ash, nitrogenous materials, carbohydrates and fats. The ash is the mineral part of the body, and constitutes from 2 to 5% of the live weight. It occurs mostly in the bones. The nitrogenous materials are known by a variety of names, the most common being protein, which is characterized by the nitrogen it contains. These materials occur mostly in the lean meat, skin, hoofs and hair. The protein of the body is built up entirely from the protein of the food.

Very little carbohydrate material exists in the body, except in the blood. The liver acts as a kind of store

house for this materia. and regulates the supply to the blood in such a manner that the muscles receive a uniform amount. It is also probable that the liver has the power to make carbohydrates from the fats and protein of the food. The quantity of fats in the body varies with the condition of the animal. They are found in all parts of the body and almost pure in the fatty tissues. It is probable that fats can be made from protein and carbohydrates as well as obtained from the fats of the food.

THE FOOD

Any material that an animal can take into the digestive organs and from which matter can be absorbed for the nourishment of the body may be considered as food. The value of food depends, among other things, on its composition and digestibility. There is a tendency to ignore this, and a ton of one food such as oats is often considered as valuable as a ton of another such as corn, whereas the materials actually available to the animal may be much larger in one case than in the other. Thus, in feeding horses the available nutrients of the food should be considered.

Composition of food.-As in the case of the animal body, the common foods are made up of water and dry matter, while the dry matter consists of ash, protein, carbohydrates and fats. Of these the protein, carbohydrates and fats are spoken of as the nutrients, since they furnish the body with the necessary matter and energy.

Water. All foods, even the driest, contain some water. The amount varies widely in different foods, running as low as 8% in some of the concentrated foods to as high as 90% in some of the more succulent foods. Even dry hay varies in this respect, alfalfa containing only 6.5%, while some of the clovers run as high as 20%. Water is not a nutrient, therefore its presence is an important factor in determining the value of a food.

Ash.-Mineral matter is also present in all common foods, although it forms but a small part, corn containing only 1.5% per cent, while alfalfa, one of the highest, contains only 10%. Most foods, however, contain sufficient ash to meet the needs of the animal, corn and some prepared foods being the only exceptions. Young growing animals require more ash than mature ones.

Protein. Of the three nutrients, the protein is considered to be the most important. This is because pro

tein is essential to the animal, the only source of animal protein being the protein of the food, and because the percentage of protein in most foods is relatively small. Because of the importance of protein, the value of the food depends very largely upon the amount of this constituent that it contains. While the percentage of digestible protein in most foods is comparatively low, it