The husbandman, farmer and grasier's compleat instructor. Containing choice and approved rules, and directions for breeding, feeding, chusing, buying, selling, well ordering and fatning bulls, cows, calves, rams, ews, lambs, swine, goats, asses, mules, &c. : How to know the several diseases incident to them, by their signs and symptoms, with proper remedies to cure them; : as likewise all griefs, and sorrances what-ever. : Also, a treatise of dogs, and conies, in their breeding, ordering, and curing the distempers they are subject to. : To which is added, The experienced vermine-killer, in particular directions, for taking and destroying all sorts of vermine in houses, out-houses, fields, garden, graneries, and other places. / By A.S. Gent.

A TREATISE OF Mules, or Moiles. THEIR Generation, Breeding, Feeding, Di∣seases, &c. And the Cure.

Condsierations on the Generating Mules: Directions to chuse your Stallion and Mare for a large and good breed.

THE Moile or Mule, among other Domestick Cattle, I conceive necessary to treat of, as be∣ing a Beast commendable for i••s enduring much Labour and Travel; kept with little, and not su••ject to many Diseases.

It is generally held, that if the She Ass and the Horse engender, they beget the She Mule or Moile; and that the contrary is done by a Stone-Ass upon a Mare: This la••ter however, must be the far better way, because the

Mare is larger, and affords greater Nourishment to it is the Womb, and can more conveniently suckle it; so that consequently it will grow larger, stronger, and be of a more lively temper; and in this case the Ass is never fitter to cover the Mare, than when he has been hard drive••, riden, or laboured, for then the Blood, and Humours be∣ing stirred, and moved in the parts, render him the mos•• active and vigorous for Performance.

This Ass-Stallion, (if you intend a good large Stoc•• that covers your Mare, must be well chosen; that is, we•• trussed of Body, full and Brawny Thighed, his Head lea•• and small, his Breast full and large, his Ears large, and standing well upright, his Body of a very darkish Colour, or spotted brown.

The Mare properly to be chosen for this Business, oug•••• not to be under four years old, nor to exceed ten; let h•••• Shape be as lovely as may be, in case you choose her fo•• Breed of good Horses, but it matters not whether her St••∣ture be extraordinary large; she goes in this case full E∣leven Months, and sometimes more, and must have good usage and seeding.

How to order the Mare and Foal, and oblige the Mare that is backward, to consent to be covered, &c.

When your Mare is near Foaling, put her into a warm closeplace, and take care that she comes to no Damage, by over-reaching, or straining; when she has Foaled, take it from her, and the most expedient way will be, to put it to a Mare that has a Colt sucking, till the Dam has ga∣thered Strength: This must be put to the second Mare in a dark place, lest she refuse it, till she become better ac∣quainted.

Now there may in this Undertaking arise some difficulty, to oblige the Ass to cover the Mare, or she to receive him, being something of a different kind, but may be facilitated by early familiarity, as thus:

The Ass-Colt that you intend for your Stallion, may be taken young from his Dam, and put to a young milch Mare, so that being brought up among that kind, he will

be no stranger to them, nor they to him. But where this cannot be ordinarily done, high feeding will make him met••lesom, and lustful; you must also put first an indiffe∣rent Ass-Colt to her, that if she beat him it may not mat∣ter ••s to the discouragement of the Stallion you intend; and when he has wooed her that she seems something ply∣able, then put the right Stallion to her, who will soon cover her, for these Creatures are naturally lustful; but yo•• must take care you put him to a Mare that has never bee•• covered by a Horse, lest her coyness, or immeasurable beating him, not only cools his Courage, but dull••, and puts him altogether out of his Amorous sit, so that ten to five, if he be ever brought to be free in this kind of busi∣ness afterward; and by this means you may procure your de••ire.

When you have brought up the Colts to a weaning time, which may be at three or four Months; turn him into some close Pasture, make him gentle and tractable by feeding him, letting him eat out of your hand, either sweet Grass, short sweet Hay, choped Straw or Chaff; for this kind of Creature, as I have said, will be kept with little, and fare hardly; but that which he has must b•• sweet and good.

Proper Housing for a Mule, and how to order him in riding or labouring.

As for his stabling, it must be dry, pretty airy, not too hot in Summer; nor cold in Winter; though in seasona∣ble Weather, they cove•• better Lodging then the Litter of t••eir Feeding in dry Pasture. One of these thus brought ••p, may be backed or put to work about three years old; they will hold labour extreamly, run very swiftly, and of in e••sie pace; so that in divers Countries beyond the Seas, they are chiefly used by the great Ladies as Palfreys, or to the same use and purpose of our Pad Nags; great esteem being set upon them, and their value prized high∣er than considerable good Horses. These Creatures Pliny allows by a natural Course to live sifty years; they ••re serviceable in the Plough, where the Husbandman is

not unreasonable to put them beyond their Streng•• viz. in such stiff or rooty ground as requires a strees draught of Hors••s or Oxen, &c.

Diseases, &c. Most incident to Mule•• their Cause, Symptoms, and proper Re¦medy for their Cure.

For the Feaver, &c.

THE Distempers this Creature is afflicted with, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 indifferent both to the Horse, and the Ass; but •• they be well used, they are very few, and the principel's the Feaver, by reason of their dryness, cholerick Humour, and heat of their Blood; it is known by the burning 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of their Hoofs. Ears, and redness of their Eyes.

To remedy this, bruise two handfuls of Pursley, stra•• out the Juyce into half a pint of White-wine, and give it him in a Drenching-horn; then Blood him, and give h•••• four hours after a Mash, made of Malt, or Wheat-bran.

For Pains in the Head.

This sometimes afflicts them, that they fall down, a with the Staggers, Turning, or Giddyness, especially when they are too much Laboured, or over-much Travelled in hot Weather.

To remedy this, Bleed them in the Temple veins, and the Roof of the Mouth; rub his Mouth with Salt and Vinegar, and give a Head or two of Garlick bruised, and boyled in a pint of Vinegar, and give him the one half of the liquid part to drink, and pour the other warm into his Nostrils, holding up his Head, by drawing it to the Rack with a Halter, about half a quarter of an Hour, and give him a Mash of Lupius and Barley.

For broken Wind.

This but seldom happens to them, by reason of the lig••tness of their Body, and not over Pursiveness; and when it does, is not easily cured; however, to use the bes•• means, viz.

Take an Ounce of Anniseeds, a handful of Rasins, and hal•• an Ounce of the powder of Liquorish, as much Al∣lom burnt, and bruised, then put them into two quarts of Water, wherein two handfuls of Smallage has been boyl∣ed, and give him, (when they have been infused a consi∣derable time, in it, over a gentle Fire) half a pint at a time of the liquid as hot as may be; Ride him gently, and then bring him home to a warm House. Litter him; and do thus five or six times, intermitting a day between.

To harden tho Hoofs.

The Hoofs of this Creature, if going in the Wet, will be apt to be very soft, so that the Shooes, if she have any on, will draw, and the Hoof apt to be much injured by splitting, or fretting.

To remedy this, rub them well over with Oyl of Tur∣pe••tine, then bind on them a Plaister made of the same O••l, and slacked Lime, and let him stand in a dry House fo•• twelve hours.

For the brittle, or rugged Hoof.

Scrape off the Scurf, or shelly Substance, with a sharp paring Knife, pick and cleanse the Feet from Gravel and D••rt, wash them with warm Water, and after he has stood a while in the Trough of warm Water, make an Oynt∣ment of Tallow, Bees-wax, and Neatsfoot-Oyl, anoynt his Hoofs with them as hot as may be, and bind them up w••th Cloaths, and in twice or thrice so ordering, they will be soft and plyable.

For Diseases in the Eyes, Rheums, &c.

If Specks, or any other the like Disaster happen in •••• Eye, to obstruct the Sight, take burnt Allom, and Bo•••• Armoniack finely powdered, and sifted, blow it into t•••• Eyes through a Quill, and when a pretty while he •••• winked hard, spurt in some White-wine Vinegar.

For Rheums, purge his Head, by giving him Rue, a•••• Hysop, boyled in fair Water.

For any Strain or Sprain, new or old.

If it be in the Leg, clip away the Hair, and bleed •••• Shackle-vein, then take two Ounces of the Oyl of T••¦pentine, heat it hot in a quarter of a pint of strong Beer and when the bleeding is over, chaff it in strong•• with your hand, then swathe it a day, then lay on it •• Charger of Soap and Brandy, well mixed, as hot as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 be; renew it twice or thrice, and then ride him gently •••• even Ground, and in a little time he will be recovered This may be done in any other part with exact manage¦ment, and be also exceeding helpful in Bruises, or •••• like.