AV THE FAR WJLST. 167 



a valuable addition to the farmyard. My own opinion is that 

 the buffalo can bo tamed easily, and vastly improved in 

 physique, strength, and edible qualities by careful feeding ; for, 

 in a wild state, its flesh is rather flavourless, and the stateliest 

 bull cannot compete in power or pugnacity with one of his 

 domestic congeners scarcely one half his weight or age. The 

 wild bull, that is the domestic species run wild, can defeat any 

 two buffaloes in ten minutes, and a herd of wild cattle can 

 drive twenty times their number of buffaloes in a very short 

 time. 



From experiments made in New Jersey, Virginia, Texas, and 

 other portions of the United States, it has been found that the 

 buffalo can be domesticated without much trouble, that its 

 flesh can be greatly improved, and that the milk of the cow is 

 rich and sweet, and yields more cream than almost anv of the 



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farmyard species. The hide of the buffalo is also four times 

 as valuable as that of the domestic race, and by careful feeding 

 the fur is made longer and finer than it is when the animal 



O 



runs wild. There is no doubt that the buffalo can be made a 

 most valuable addition to our domestic animals, and it is 

 rather a pity that some persons do not try it, and keep it from 

 totally disappearing. 



I have heard that buffalo bulls associate freely with domestic 

 cows, and that their offspring is large and hardy; that their 

 flesh is excellent; that the females are good milkers ; and that 

 they can be kept easily, as they are indiscriminate feeders, and 

 anything but dainty in palate. "Whether the cross would 

 prove prolific is another question, but the probability is that 

 it would, by paying careful attention to the laws of breeding. 

 The cross is said to be very stubborn, however, but this fault 

 could, no doubt, be eradicated without much trouble. 



If the buffalo of India can be made useful to man, there is 

 little doubt that its American congener also can ; hence its 

 domestication should be attempted by wealthy private gentle- 

 men, stock-raisers, and even small farmers, and they would 

 undoubtedly find their efforts crowned with success. Any 

 pasture will answer its purpose, for it will thrive where anv 

 of the bovine species more dainty in appeti'e than a Texas 



