Proceedings of the Farmers^ Club. 043 



toughness of that particular buffalo '• meat " of which Mr. Greeley 

 partook. It is a fact well known to hunters that when a herd of 

 buffalo are alarmed that the males linger behind and make some 

 show of courage, while the females, with natural instinct, flee with 

 their young, leaving their more brave companions in the rear to 

 receive the fatal bullet from the huntsman's rifle. It is safe to say 

 that five males are killed to one female; were it otherwise, but few 

 buffaloes would now be found on the plains. From the description 

 given we may easily infer the kind of beef tested, the qualities of 

 w'hich have long ago passed into a proverb. I must say, in truth, 

 that under the same circumstances and like treatment, buffalo beef 

 will be as tender as any beef from domesticated cattle. Having 

 lived on the border and in the midst of the buffalo region for ten 

 years, I speak what I know, having no theories to feed my vanitv. 

 I have felt annoyed, for truth's sake, that facts w'oukl be smothered 

 out by bold theories. I saw a half breed buffalo calf not long ago 

 in Denver which dressed, at five months old, 300 pounds. It had no 

 extra care, and it was the admiration of stockmen, who asserted that 

 common calves could not be made so fat. Why import blooded 

 stock when we have the very best native beef animals ? They are 

 more kind than common cattle ; they become too tame, with petting, 

 like sheep. I have known them worked in the yoke ; yoked with 

 an ox they are unequal, the largest ox is not an equal to a medinm 

 buffalo bull. Many are now giving much attention here to the 

 domestication of the buffalo for crossing with common cattle. 



Lite Fences. 



Mr. H. S. Bickford, Grenada, J^emaha county, Kansas.— Can any 

 one of the club give any information with regard to fencing with 

 trees ? It appears to me, that trees such as can be easily and surely 

 gro^vn from slips or seeds, if planted eight or ten inches apart, would, 

 in a few years, become a good, serviceable fence, beside making good 

 wind-break, so much needed in prairie countries. 



Mr. J. B. Lyman.— On soils where the hemlock grows well, it can 

 be trimmed so as to make a strong fence, and at the same time an 

 excellent w4nd-break. But the chief difiiculty with all live fences is, 

 that they do not receive sufiicient cultivation and pruning at the 

 critical time. If neglected, the bush or young tree gets a start 

 upward, and no after treatment w^iU produce that thickening at the 

 bottom so necessary for a trustworthy fence. The osage orange, the 



