Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-04-18
Utilizing the Buffalo.

with the buffaloes of the Western
plains, to determine the problem Of
their domestic utility. After sever
al years of careful investigation, Mr..
Miller concludes that 1t will pay
common farmers to breed the buffalo.
OF both pure blood and crossed with
the best varieties of domestic cattle.
The old question of years ago, has
been satisfactorily settled in the
affirmative; that is, as to whether
this animal can be tanned. Both
the full-blooded specimens, half
breeds and domestic cattle will herd
together on the best of terms. The
buffaloes, running with other cattle
are very playful; q characteristic
much more to be desired than o bel
ligerent and hostile tendency. By
nature they are hardy, and on this
account it is found that buffalo can
be kept for less than one-half that
is required to keep an animal of the
ordinary breeds; they can be fat
tened much cheaper and their flesh
is just as good. They have been
pronounced to be as good mixers as
the best Attorneys, and their milk
yields equally as good butter. Ths4
value of the milk, as it is related to
the manufacture of cheese, is not
definitely known experimentally; but
the fact that it is more prolific of
cream, than that of the domestic
COWS, argues favorably in this re-
spect. The milk of the buffalo COW
is found to be exceedingly yellow,
sweet and rich even when the ami
NAL feeds upon its native plains, and,
of course, it is susceptible of much
improvement by change of feed and
keeping. Col. Miller earnestly re-
commends that buffalo ranches be
established on the praires where
young calves could be collected, and,
after they were partially domestica-
ted, shipped to the Eastern States
for distribution among beef raisers
and dairymen. But the main object
we have in writing this article is to
call the attention of Washington
Territory farmers to this interesting
subject. Geographically, this Ter
ritory is better suited to the rearing
of the buffalo than the Eastern
States, or any locality east of the,
Mississippi river. 1t would be but q !
small thing to import from the plains :
colony of healthy calves to be
experimental with by our farmers.
A large buffalo farm has been es-
tablished in Nebraska with results
and conclusions very similar to those
hinged upon the trials made in New
Jersey. Mr.. Miller has satisfied
himself that there is no physical diff
ficulty in the way of the males and
females of buffaloes and domestic
animals coming freely together dur
ing the proper season and propagat-
ing a healthy offspring. So far as
trials have been made, it seems that
the best results have followed in
those cases where the bull was buff
falo and the COW an Attorney or
Durham. Physically, the native buff
falo differs considerably in many re-
spects. The buffalo is feet but not
strong. The udder of the female is
much smaller than the udder of the
domestic cow, but the milk veins are
immense: This is wonderful pro-
vision of nature, allowing, as it does,
the COWS to run with great swiftness
when pursued by their enemies. The
following is the language of q re-
port on the comparative merits of
the buffalo and the ordinary cow:
"The buffalo can be kept ct one
half the cost of the cow. That Isl,
one point in favor of the buffalo.
We will assume, to give the common
cow fair show, that she yields more
milk and butter. This balances the
account so far. The buffalo is fully
equal to our stock in the quality OF
merit. So they are still on even
terms; but finally, the hide OF the
buffalo is worth four times as much
as the hide of o common COW or OK"
These considerations are we'll worthy
the careful attention of all stock
raisers and we trust that the pains
we have taken to set them before