In Buffalo Days 



They are fertile among themselves or with 

 either parent. A half-breed cow of Mr. 

 Jones's that I examined was fully as large as 

 an ordinary work-ox, and in spring, while 

 nursing a calf, was fat on grass. She lacked 

 the buffalo hump, but her hide would have 

 made a good robe. The great size and 

 tremendous frame of these cross-bred cattle 

 should make them very valuable for beef, 

 while their hardiness would exempt them 

 from the dangers of winter, — so often fatal 

 to domestic range cattle, — and they produce 

 a robe which is quite as valuable as that of 

 the buffalo, and more beautiful because more 

 even all over. If continued, these attempts 

 at cross-breeding may do much to improve 

 our Western range cattle. 



Mr. Jones has sold a number of buffalo to 

 persons in Europe, where there is a consider- 

 able demand for them. It is to be hoped that 

 no more of these domesticated buffalo will be 

 allowed to leave the country where they were 

 born. Indeed, it would seem quite within 

 the lines of the work now beino- carried on 

 by the Agricultural Department, for the gov- 

 ernment to purchase all the domesticated 



173 



