22 BUFFALO CATTLE. 



germane to that of The Wilderness and its Tenants, 

 we must find room for a few words respecting the 

 last gift and legacy of the wild buffalo to posterity 

 we refer to the matter of "buffalo cattle." 



These animals, which we still hope may yet cut a 

 great figure in the world's history, are the legacy of 

 the buffalo cow; the progeny of the buffalo bull and 

 the domestic cow has, we believe, always failed, as 

 owing to the size and shape of the calf the cow was 

 unable to produce it; this led to the loss of both 

 mother and offspring; but the calf of the buffalo cow, 

 and domestic bull, was easily reared, and the result 

 is a new breed of cattle, of which great things are 

 expected. 



A long account of a herd of these cattle (said to be 

 the only one then existing) appeared in the American 

 sporting paper, Forest and Stream of April 18, 1889. 

 They were reared by the Hon. C. S. Jones, of Garden 

 County, Kansas, and the report states that, 



"None of the good things we have heard of these cattle 

 has done justice to their superb appearance," they were 

 mostly the produce of buffalo cows roped upon the plains, 

 when 3 or 4 weeks old, from 1885 to 1888. The half bred 

 animal is stated to be "built just on the lines of a beef 

 maker, and yet the picture" (portrait of cow given with the 

 paper) "conveys only a faint idea of the excellence of this 

 superb creature. She is very tall, very thick through, and 

 with a gigantic frame, and thick, short legs. The cows are 

 all alike and convey the impression of more bulk than large 

 work-oxen, and were estimated to weigh 1400 Ibs." "a half- 

 bred steer was killed when three years old, and dressed 1280 

 Ibs. clear meat, or nearly twice as much as a fat four year 

 old steer. As might be expected the three-quarter breeds 

 more nearly resemble the buffalo in hump, head, and horns, 



