1863.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
9 
The East ludiau Buffalo. 
An agricultural show was held last winter at 
Calcutta, at wliich prizes were awarded to ani- 
mals of the native breeds, and among others to 
the domestic buffalo. We give herewith a picture 
of a prize buffalo cow, and 
as no animals of this kind 
have ever been imported to 
America, so far as we are in- 
formed, certainly not for 
economical purposes, it is 
well to consider their quali- 
ties. The buffalo {Bos buba- 
lui) is a native of India, and 
is now fouud wild iu great 
numbers, inhabiting the low 
grounds and swamps near 
tlie river banks, on the bor- 
ders of the great forests, 
choosing the coarse, rank 
veijetation of such localities 
in preference to other food. 
The wild animals are of im- 
mense size, sometimes meas- 
nring lOi feet from muzzle 
to rump, and standing 6 feet 
to 64 feet high. Tliey are 
shaped much like oxen, but 
are coarse and ungaiul}', 3;^ 
large-boned, heavy, thick ._'^^ 
limbed, very powerful and "^^^ 
vindictive, and do not hesi- 
tate to attack a tiger or even 
an elephant, which according 
to reports tliey sometimes do with success. The 
horns are perhaps the most remarkable feature. 
These grow liorizontally from the frontal bone, 
curving a little backward, and upward, and for- 
ward toward tlie tips. Tlie bases of the horns 
are flattened and corrugated, and the distance 
from tip to tip sometimes measures ten feet. 
This animal loves to wallow 
in the mud, like the swine 
and rhinoceros, and in its 
wild state is never found far 
from water. In a state of 
domestication, buffaloes of 
both sexes are valued for the 
yoke and for their hides, and 
the cows for yielding very 
good milk. The beef is of 
poor quality. It is said that 
the wild ones are alwaj's fat, 
and the domestic always lean 
aud skinny. This can only 
be the result of poor care, for 
there is scarcely another ani- 
mal which has changed so 
little after thousands of years 
of domestication. The buf- 
falo is found in Italy, Greece, 
and Turkey, and is valued 
for great strength in the 
yoke and ability to live on 
very coarse fare. The Cape 
buffalo of South Africa is 
another species ; the Ameri- 
can Bison which we com- 
monly call Buffalo, is really 
no buffalo at all. The 
great swamps which abound 
among the lowlands of Louisiana, Florida, 
and other parts of the Southern States, would 
doubtless afford congenial and excellent pas- 
turage for these animals, and it has repeatedly 
occurred to us that they might prove a valu- 
able kind of stock for tliosc extensive districts, 
which are now inhabited chiefly by alligators, 
turtles, a few deer, bears, opossiuns and copper- 
heads. This is the only one of the bovine genus 
(except its brother the Cape buffalo) which 
thrives in low and marshy ground. Cattle left 
to their own choice will seek their pasturage 
BUFFALO cow FKOlt BAGOON, INDIA, 
and make their lairs, not far from water, but in 
dry meadows, in valleys or ou tlie hill-sides. 
Neat Cattle of Southern Asia. 
At the Calcutta cattle show, the same at 
which the buffalo cow, mentioned above, took 
LONO-IiOUNLD BLLLOCh. OF 01 Dli, INDIA. 
a prize, some long-horned oxen were exhibit- 
ed from the Province of Oude. We have had 
several importations of India cattle into this 
country, attempts having been made to test 
their adaptation to the Southern States — some, 
if not all of which experiments have certainly 
been frustrated by the rebellion. These, so 
far as we know, and we have seen several of 
the animals, were of the short-horned breed, so 
mucli esteemed in the East as saddle and car- 
riage beasts. The one here represented was en- 
graved from a photograph, hence it doubtless 
represents the animal coarser 
and heavier limbed than it 
is naturally. As a race, they 
are not coarse legged, but 
very flat-sided — narrow be- 
tween tlie hip bones and nar- 
row breasted — long legged, 
active and strong. Tlie ears 
me pendant, aud lliey are , 
characterized by a hump of 
fat upon the shoulders, of 
varying size in different ani- 
mals. They cross readily 
with other cattle, and when 
fat, the beef is said to be 
very good. The prevailing 
color is mouse, incliniug to 
dun ind gray ; they are some- 
times called blue. Some 
India catttle are very diminu- 
tive — smaller even than those 
_ of Breton, if we are correct- 
■^' '' K^ / ly iaformed — and among 
i^ '" ^- ^ them are some polled breeds. 
i_:^ These are the varieties which 
^^s y prevail throughout Southern 
=^ " Asia, Arabia, and more or 
less iu Eastern Africa. We 
learii from a gentleman in- 
terested in promoting the prosperity of the Re- 
public of Liberia, that an experiment is to be 
made to test the value of these cattle on the 
west coast of Africa, where horses will not live. 
If they do well, the result will be of great value, 
and go far toward civilizing tlie whole coast. 
As to their having any especial value for the 
United States, we doubt. 
With good care iu breeding 
and feeding our common 
breeds do very well, even 
in Louisiana and in Florida. 
o 
Oare of Sheep in Wikter. 
— Fattening sheep should 
not be allowed much range, 
in fact the more closely they 
tire confined tlie better, so 
long as their good appetites 
give indications of continued 
health. Sheep confined in 
close, dark quarters, 4 to 8 
in a pen, having nothing to 
do but eat and sleep, lay on 
fat mucli more rapidly and 
economically than if allowed 
even the range of a small 
yard. Breeding ewes ought 
to be in the suushine more 
or less daily, and have a 
wallc of considerable extent. 
The leaves and twigs of our 
common evergreen trees, es- 
pecially of the liemlock, are 
palatable to sheep, and they 
may very profitably be fed 
frequently. The resinous 
and astringent substances 
contained in this kind of food appear to ex- 
ercise an excellent effect, promoting the health 
of the flock, besides affording a relishable vari- 
ety of diet, and tolerable substitute for roots. 
All sheep ought to have occasional change of 
diet if possible, especially the breeding ewes. 
