352 The American Bifffalo. 



be was always sby of a buffalo cow, but tbe buffalo bull was 

 willing to breed wntb the common cow. 



*' From the common cow I have several half breeds, one of 

 which was a heifer. This I put with a domestic bull, aud it pro- 

 duced a bull calf. This I castrated, and it made a very fine steer, 

 and when killed produced very fine beef. I bred from this same 

 heifer several calves, and then, that the experiment m.ight be per- 

 fect^ I put one of them to the buffalo bull, and she brought me a 

 bull-calf, which I raised to be a very fine, large animal, — perhaps 

 the only one to be met wdth in the world of this blood, viz : a 

 three-quarter, half-quarter, and half-quarter of common blood. 

 After making these experiments, I have left them to propagate 

 their blood themselves, so that I have only had a few half-breeds, 

 and they always prove the same, even by a buffalo bull. The full- 

 blood is not as large as the improved stock, but as laige as the or- 

 dinary stock of the country. The crossed or half-blood are larger 

 than either the buffalo or common cow. The hump, brisket, ribs, 

 and tongue of the full and half blooded are preferable to those 

 of the common beef; but the round and other parts are much 

 inferior. The udder or bag of the buffalo is smaller than that of 

 the common cow ; but I have allowed the calves of both to run 

 with their dams upon the same pasture, and those of the buffalo 

 were always the fattest ; and old hunters have told me that when 

 a young buffalo calf is taken it requires the milk of two common 

 cows to raise it. Of this I have no doubt, having received the 

 same information froni hunters of the greatest veracity. The bag 

 or udder of the half-breed is larger than that of the full-blooded 

 animals, and they would, I have no doubt, make good milkers. 



" The w^ool of the wild buffalo grows on their descendants when 

 domesticated, but I think they have less wool than their progeni- 

 tors. The domesticated buffalo still retains the grunt of the wild 

 animal, and is incapable of making any other noise, and they still 

 observe the habit of having select places within their feeding- 

 grounds to wallow in. 



" The bufialo has a much deeper shoulder than the tame ox, 

 but is lighter behind. He walks more actively than the latter, 

 and I think has more strength than a common ox of the same 

 weio-ht. I have broken them to the yoke, and found them capa- 

 ble of making excellent oxen ; and for drawing wagons, carts, or 

 otherheavily-laden vehicles, on long journeys, they would, I think, 

 be greatly preferable to the common ox. I have as yet had no 



