The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-12-01
DoMEsTICATrNO TIRE BUFFALO.
Experiments That show the Animal
is of Praesical Value.


All that now remains of the once count
less wild herds of butfaloes are probably
Che few scores in the Yellowstone Park
liable to be destroyed at almost any time by
lawless hunters-and the wood buffaloes,
said to be common yet in the Peace River
Valley. Nevertheless, We may indulge in
the hope that, after all, this grand species
is not doomed to total extinction, for at the
eleventh hour its value as stock animal
aas been recognized, and its domestication
not only commenced in earnest, but practi-
cally accomplished. Although attempts in
this direction had been made many years
ago among the farmers of the southern buff
talo regions, after having once tanned the
animals the owners were at loss to know
what use to make of these huge, woolly
additions to the stockyard. Therefore the
sxpermenters gradually disposed of their
Wild stock, and the scheme of domestica-
ton was considered mistake and almost
entirely forgotten, until recently it was
again attempted in the Far Northwest; q
region where the climate was such that no
and unfed, and where the buffalo robe was
not merely luxury, but decided necessity
of life during one-third of the year. Thus
it was at length the feasibility and desira-
bility of the undertaking was satisfactorily
demonstrated by the domestication of the
buffalo at Stony Mountain, in Manitoba.
This herd, started in 1878 with four hotter
calves and one BULL numbers now sixty
one mead; the greater number pure baffalo !;
the rest half breeds. When | saw them in
January all were sleek and fat, and yet they
were living on the open prairie and feeding
ON the prairie grasses covered by snow,
AT this time the snow was deep and the Their
mometer had, for long, registered twenty or
more below zero. In January of the pre-
ceding year one of the cows had calyed on
the plain, and although at the time the Their
mometer registered thirty degrees
below zero neither COW nor calf appeared to
suffer in the least When q blizzard comes
on the animals lie down together with theii
drift over them, so TINT under the eombin-
ed protection of their own wool and the
snow they are quite warm. Not one of this
herd has ever exhibited the slightest syinp-
toms of disease, although the only care
that they receive is occasional watching, to
prevent them from straying away. Thus
winter and summer they live aud thrive on
the bare prairie, with numbers undiminished
by any of the ordinary cattle scourges,
and with expences for care reduced to q
minimum.
Once year the great fleece, weighing
from ten to fourteen pounds is shed, and its
manufacture into thick, warm cloth was Mt
one time regular industry at Winnipeg, I'M
til it was discontinued by the extirpation of
the animals in the adjoining region. In its
market value the buffalo is not far behind
his smoother relative, for even if the quality
of meat is inferior, the difference is more
than made up by the great weight of the
animal and the value of the robe, which
usually brings from $40 to $15. As draft
animals they have proved success for not
withstanding their great strength, endnr-
ance and activity, they are as easily handled
as ordinary oxen. In one particular only is
the buffalo far inferior to other species of
cattle, and that is as a mixer; but to the
ranchTan milk is really of no consequence.