386 



AGRICULTURE ON THE PACIFIC SLOPE 



Western United States, for the meat supply of the Eastern 

 states and also of Europe. For the best grades of beef these 

 cattle are fattened or "finished" in one of the corn-growing 

 states (see page 278) . 



Nearly every country in the world has its special breeds 

 of cattle, more or less adapted to local conditions. In the 

 Philippine Islands, Malaysia, and Ceylon, they have the 



water buffalo or 

 cardbao, which 

 needs several 

 daily baths. In India 

 the common cow is the 

 white zebiij which is quite small 

 and has a hump over the shoulder. 

 In Tibet the long-tailed yak, which 

 can live and work at heights over 

 ten thousand feet, and up to twenty 

 thousand, is alone used. It not 

 only serves for riding and carrying 

 loads, but also gives milk from 

 which butter is made. In the 

 United States an attempt is being 

 made to domesticate the original 

 wild buffalo or bison of the great 

 plains. Once it existed in count- 

 less herds, but few are now left. 

 Buffalo robes are very valuable for their thick, curly cover- 

 ing of hair. 



Cattle are the chief source of skins from which leather is 

 made by tanning with oak or other barks. The skins or 

 hides of other animals can, of course, be made into leather 

 also. Soft leathers for gloves are made from kid or sheepskin 

 by rubbing with alum, salt, and yolk of egg. 



FIG. 196. Texas longhorn. 



