Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 14.djvu/122

MULCH. 94 MULE DEER. spots in lawns and meadows. A mulcli of barn- vaiJ manure not only conserves moisture, but furnishes aeocptablc plant food. iliilcliing berry bushes, oreliurd trees, etc., on a large scale with coarse manure and refuse material is not to be recommended, because it interferes with cultivation, harbors insects, and causes the plant roots to remain near the sur- face, thus incrcasin;; the danger of injury by drought. Such mulches, except on a small scale and for sptH.'ial purposes, such a.s protecting small fruits from injury by late frosts by retarding growth in spring, should be rcplaceil by thorough stirring of the soil to maintain a soil mulch. The dei)tli and character of this soil mulch nuist be determined by a variety of conditions, among which are the kind and root habits of the plant and the cliaracter of the soil and climate. It is evident that any crop, such as corn, with an extensive surface root system, would be injured by the destruction of its roots if stirring were freipient and deep. Again, in arid regions the mulch must be deeper and more perfect than in regions of frequent rainfall, in order to be effec- tive and useful. MULDEB, nir^nrdcr. Gerardi'S .Joiianxes (IS(I2S0|. A Dutch chemist, born at Utrecht. After olitaining the degree of doctor of medicine at the university of his native town in 1S25, he eoninienced the practice of his profession at Amsterdam, but was soon invited to teach botany and subsequently chemistry at the medical school at Rotterdam. In 1840 he was elected professor of chemistrj' at the University of Utrecht, and kept this post until 1868, when he retired from active service. Mulder is best known for his re- searches on the prot^ids. Concerning the chemi- cal nature of these sid>stances. he advanced a theory according to which the proteids contain in conunon a characteristic ingredient which he named jirottin. The thcorj' led him into a con- troversy with Liebig and was not accepted. He is the author of numerous excellent works on physiological and agricultural chemistry, on the chemistry of wine and beer, on diet and nutri- tion, etc. His Chrmistrii of yrfietnhle ami Ani- miil I'hysiology has been translated into English by Froinberg, and his Chrminlri/ of Wine by Bence .Iciiies. He also wrote an autobiography irnder the title Lvreiissrhelii (published posthu- mously in 1S81: 2d ed, 1883). MULDER, T.oDEwi.iK (1822—), A Dutch writer. biuM in llw Hague. He was an instruc- tiir in the lliiyal Military .cadcmy at Hreila in IS.'il •.">!»; was then for a time employed in the .Ministry of War as an editor of original ilocu- ments in early Dutch history: and from ISliS to 1872 was an inspector of schools in Utrecht Province. He prepared manuals of the history of the Netherlands (IS-W, 12th ed. 1881), and of general history (1802. 8th eil. 1880). and wrote several fibiys and works of ficdon. the last in- rluiling his liesi known work. Jan ['acssrn (2 vols., 18"iiil. a tale, of the conspiracy against I'rinee Maurice of Orange. MULE (OF,, Fr, mule, from Lat, »hi//i/.'!, mule). A hybrid animal, the ofrs|)ring of the male ass and the niari', highly valued as a beast of burili'n. The ears are long; (he head, crop, and tail resemble those of the ass rather than those of the horse: but in bulk and stalire the mule approaches more nearly to the horse. The mule seems to excel both the ass and the horse in intelligence: its powers of muscular endurance are remarkable; and its .sure-footedness particu- larly adapts it to mountainous countries. It is easily kept, endures hunger and thirst better than the hor.se, lives to a great age, and is com- paratively free from disease. Great care is be- stowed on the breeding of mules in Kentucky, ^Missouri, and some other Central States, in Mexico, and in Spain and Italy, and nmles of ])articular districts are highly esteemed. In America, mules are of greatest importance in the Southern States. Texas, Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Georgia each luive over 2()(),0()0, The cotton and sugar-cane plantations utilize large numbers because they are easily and cheap- ly kept, .-Vs in other hybrid animals generally, males are more numerous among mules than fe- males in the i)roportion, it is said, of two or three to one. There is no instance on record of ofT- spring [)roduced by two mules ; hut instances occur, although rarely, of the female mule pro- ducing oll'spring with the horse and with the ass. The mule is very superior in size, strength, and beauty to the hinn.y, the oti'spring of the male horse and the female ass. Several breeds of Jacks have been used for producing mules. The chief breeds are Anilalusian, Maltese, Catalonian, Italian, and Majorcan. The Catalonian is the best of imported breeds, but in the United States the native jack, a mixture of all breeds, is most used. Black is the preferred color, and the jack should Ik- of good size. The mare should also be well-bred and of good form and color. In the Southern States nuiles are divided into two classes, the smaller ones 'cotton mules,' and the larger 'sugar nuiles.' MULE (in Spiiming). See Spinning. MULE DEER (so called on account of the large ears I, or Hlacktail, One of the principal species of Xortli American deer {Cerviis macro- tis. or Odocoilru.i hcmionus) , originally ranging throughrnit the open regions of the western half of the United States, but by the end of the nine- teenth century restricted to the upper valleys of the Missouri and Saskatchewan rivers, and to the Rocky Mountain region, and the country west and south of it from Xorthern Mexico to Southern British Columbia. The Southwestern specimens are considered a distinct variety. This deer appears never to have ranged east of the plains, and was always most ninuerous in the broken country of the West aiul Northwest, Its favorite haunts are the brushy high-lying val- leys. Its favorite place in stunmcr is the sum- mits of the 'nu>sas.' and the pastures on the cliap- arralcovered hills or near the limber-line, where it goes to rest along the edge of precipices that give a wide outlook. In winter it comes lower down, and gathers into large herils in the foot-hills, after the manner of the wapiti (q.v.). It is somewhat larger than the Eastern or Vir- ginian deer (see Dkkk). and stands .about H feet 4 inches high at the shoulder. Its body is rather heavy, and its coat is dull yellowish in sum- mer, rather than reiblish, and in winter bluish- gray. The ears are very large (suggesting the name), and heavily furred; and its antlers have a short basal snag, above which the beam pro- jects outward and then upward, forking equally and the prongs again dividing, so that there are