The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-02-15
AN 4MBhIcAN BREED or o4rTLE.

TO the Editor Of the Chicago Journal.
Some of our ambitious breeders have adj
vocated the founding of an American breed
Of cattle. The Eurof can breeds are so num-
erous and embrace so wide range Of adap-
tations, it would seem as though nothing
more could be desired. For beef we have
the Shorthorns, Hereferds, Polled Angus,
Galloways, Norfolks. Suffolks and Devons
In all these breeds there are families pos
sessing meritin the. dairy. For large milk
producers we have the Holsteins and Ayr
shires, and both these have merit as beef
producers. For butter we have the Jersey
and Guernsey. In these breeds we have all
that can be asked for the economical
production of the finest qualities of beef
milk, butter and cheese, with perfect
adaptation to differences in climate
soil and physical constitution of the United
States Many individuals of these breeds
have reached the acme of perfection, and the
skill of the breeder will find scope for its
exercise In maintaining the present high at
tainments and leading the masses nearer the
highest standard 1t would be Just as alb.
surd to create new language for the United
States of America as it would be to found
an American breed of cattle for the produc-
| ton of beef, milk, butter and cheese. The
English language is good enough for the
| United States, and the beef, milk and butter
breeds Of Great Britain are good enough
| for the world. The most that any breeder
could hope to accomplish with these breeds
as foundation would be to form breed
with some fanciful characteristic of form or
color. If he could by selection for many
generations establish breed perslstently
and Invariably white. with red ears and
switch, it would simply be fanciful but in
no wise useful. Ii it were possible to cross
| the American eagle on the Poland Angus
and produce an American breed with small
| wings on their shoulders, they would be a
fanciful but inconyenient appendage. But
| stay Why has it not occurred to us that
we have an American breed of cattle? The
American buffaloes are distinct race bred
for centuries without alloy. They have
characteristics strikingly distinct from any
other bovines. An important question is !:
Have they qualities which would make it
| desirable to domesticate and perpetuate this
pure and distinctively American race of cat
| tie? 1t is indispulable that under the pres
ent conditions this race will soon become
extinct by the merciless butchery of the i'm
provident hunter. The buffalo robe is pure
ly an American product, and is SO useful
and fills so universal want that when the
supply is cut off, as ii soon must be- its an
Inhalation will make terrible void.
The question Of their domestication and
perpetuation will, I suppose have to be sub.
jected to that crucial test: Will it pay
From the usefulness, value and universal
demand for the buffalo robe there can be
scarcely doubt that it would pay to pro-
duce them in domestication under favorable
circumstances. With the improvement that
could be made by selections they could
doubtless be brought to produce fine
quality of beef. 1t may justly be predicted
that robes of as yet unequaled quality can
yet be produced in the same way. The race
should be kept pure. and improvement ac-
complished by selection. The buffalo bull
crossed on common COWS would, by the pre-.
potency Of so strong and pure race, pro-
duce animals with fair quality of robe and
carcass of good beef. Here is new field
entirely unoccupied, waiting for the skill
and vim of Bates and Booth.
1t is to be devoutly hoped that one of
wealth, with the patriotic ambition of found.
ing domestic breed of distinctively
American race of cattle, will step into the
field and win victory quickly, before it is
forever too late. r. F. ROBERTS.
Woodwork, Wis, February a.