Chapter 209 The Mule Inventor

"It's a hybrid of a jackass and a mare, and the Asa call them mules."

Major Vasa introduced the large animals raised by his family to the visitors, with a proud smile on his face.

"In Alfheim and even the entire New World, my family is the first ranch to breed excellent mules."

"In fact, since more than ten years ago, I have had a strong interest in mule breeding technology."

"Over the years, I have conducted cross-breeding experiments on all kinds of donkeys and horses I could find during my vacations, and selected the best mules from the offspring."

"This undertaking has been carried out very effectively. If I hadn't had to spend most of my time and energy in the barracks, maybe I would have the opportunity to become a famous animal husbandry expert with this invention."

George Vassar was not the first person in the world to try crossbreeding a donkey with a horse.

In fact, he learned this animal husbandry technology that has long been passed down in the indigenous tribes from an Asa herdsman in his family.

The offspring of the crossbreeding of a male donkey and a female horse, the "mule" originally meant "mongrel" in the old Asa language.

Although the Asa people were the first to develop the method of breeding mules, they did not take this technology very seriously.

After all, creatures like mules have fatal birth defects and are almost unable to reproduce.

Rather than bothering to breed mules, it is better to capture wild horses and wild donkeys in herds of domesticated grasslands.

George Vassar, probably the first manor owner in the New World to come into contact with and attach great importance to mule breeding technology, was also the first animal husbandry practitioner to use scientific methods to breed excellent mules, and was the first to write an article in a newspaper, A propagandist who actively promoted this hybrid breed to "civilized society".

If one day in the future, mules are accepted by the colonists as a kind of livestock that is not inferior to cattle and horses, then George Vassar, by virtue of his pioneering contribution to the improvement and promotion of mules, is indeed qualified to be in the New World left his name in the history books.

George Vassar's passion for breeding and promoting mules was never for fun or fame.

More than ten years of animal husbandry practice has shown that mules have both the stamina and load-bearing capacity of donkeys, and the bravery and strength of horses. They are smart, hard-working, and not picky about feed. The only defect is that the female mule's pelvis cannot open and close, and she cannot give birth to offspring.

Most of the mules bred by Mount Vernon over the years are sold to homeowners or small farmers who can’t afford work horses and draft horses. The family ranch only keeps 57 adult mules.

Not long ago, it was attacked by strange insects, causing the ranch to lose eight mules, and even the old Asa herdsman who helped George Vasa breed mules was unfortunately killed.

When telling Joan and the others about the unfortunate incident, Major Vassar lost his smile, feeling deeply sorry for the loss of the old shepherd.

Mules are indeed, as Major Vasa said, smarter than donkeys, and less easily frightened than horses. They calmly accept the fact that Ah Zhi and Mr. Benny are riding on their backs. Following Vasa, Joan and Xiaomiao who were riding tall horses, they strolled leisurely in the pasture.

"That's where the diggers are lurking. Let's dismount here so as not to disturb the pests hiding deep in the cave."

Major Vassar said, pointing to the grass by the river.

Joan got off his horse and looked in the direction of Major Vassar's finger.

The Yifen River meanders along with the ups and downs of the mountains, and alfalfa grows densely on the gentle slope on the left side of the river near the pasture.

Alfalfa can vaguely see dark caverns in the center, and soil is piled up around the cave entrances, like miniature "craters" dotted around.

These distinctive landform features indicate that there must be more than one digger lurking nearby.

The burrowers hide deep in the burrows, so we must try to drive them out of the ground first.

Fortunately, Joan was prepared and brought enough smoked mosquito grass and cockscomb stone with him.

Yesterday’s experience in expelling insects in Custis’s garden showed that the thick smoke emitted by burning mosquito grass and cockscomb stones can strongly stimulate the respiratory organs of the diggers, and they have to crawl out of the burrows to breathe.

Joan also improved this method last night, cutting the smoked mosquito grass into smaller pieces that are easier to burn and drying them in advance, crushing the cockscomb stone into powder, and adding the cut and dried smoked mosquito grass at a ratio of 1:10 Proportion mix, packaged in double gauze sewn bags, each bag weighs about 5 lbs.

Tests have shown that a bag of mixed powder can burn continuously for 40 minutes, during which a steady stream of irritating smoke is produced.

Joan took out the medicine bag prepared in advance, and took out a large bucket of lamp oil from the storage bag.

The pods are soaked in kerosene to ensure they are more easily ignited.

After making all the preparations, Joan cast the "Hand of the Higher Mage", grabbed the medicine bag soaked in lamp oil, and stuffed it into the entrance of the burrower's hole through the air.

In the low part of the meadow near the river beach, there are eight holes in total.

Qiao An stuffed medicine bags into four of the holes, and left the other four holes intentionally empty for the diggers to escape.

Major Vasa, Xiao Miao, Ah Zhi, and Teacher Benny each guarded a cave entrance, ready to beat the diggers that came out at all times.

Teacher Benny also suggested planting the "alchemy bomb" he himself invented near the exit. If the diggers come out recklessly, they will receive "surprises".

A Zhi and Xiao Miao were worried that Teacher Benny's invention would not be reliable, and advised him not to come up with random ideas.

Joan knew that Teacher Benny had been using his spare time to study alchemy. Although he was not a master, he still had basic alchemy skills, so he asked him for a "bomb" out of curiosity.

When he was in Delin Town, Joan learned the basics of alchemy from Dr. Galandil. After coming to Leiden College, he studied this subject in depth under the guidance of Master Rawls. Alchemy formulas are very familiar.

After a little observation, he could see that the bomb made by Mr. Benny mainly consisted of two components: one was "blazing glue" and the other was "thunderbolt stone".

These two substances are probably the most well-known alchemical compounds in the world in Vales.

"Blazing Glue" is a high-quality gunpowder, which will explode after being ignited and produce viscous flammable gel-like liquid droplets, which adhere to the surface of objects and burn violently and continuously. Even steel cannot withstand the high temperature of Blazing Glue , will be burned and melted within a short while.

The ignition point of "blazing glue" is very low, and if you are not careful, it will cause an accident due to spontaneous combustion.

In order to improve safety, alchemists usually mix a certain proportion of non-flammable mineral salts into the blazing glue.

In this way, "Blazing Glue" is safe, but there is also a new problem, it is difficult to be detonated, so "Thunderbolt" has a place to use.

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