Arizona weekly enterprise., 1888-06-23
THs euEgAI-0 QUESTION.
4 eo1uti1n Which chould Be Adopted at

On.S<e Manitoba Herd.
 There is no question in Taxidermist Richardson's opinion that the buffalo is now well nigh extinct on the plains There are few in Yellowstone park pro- tected by the government, but they are likely to be killed at any time. In Texas a herd of about thirty is owned by one ranchman; several other small punches may be found, but the days when they rambled at large over the country have been numbered. Unless some means of protecting them is adopted within ten years the American bison must become an extinct species. In Central park Di- rector COnklin has several specimens of buffalo, but the COW is growing old and another one has not been secured. The buffalo will not breed in captivity unless, like other domestic animals, it has abun- dant room for feeding and exercise. In Central park the animals are confined in narrow stalls because the space at the disposal of the manager is so cramped.
 There is practical solution of the buff falo question, Mir. Richardson thinks, which, if adopted at once, may prevent the extinction of the animal. The buf- faloes are easily domesticated, and if &C., l customed from birth to domestic sur roundings, they become quite ss easy to control as ordinary domestic g4ttls. Jn the northwest, where the Nfnttas are long and the thermometer gilks below zero at the slightest provocasi,p buffalo subsist without any discomfcT"s, while the winters there are genersn:y fatal to domestic cattle unless housr1 end looked | after with tba orrootact Caro.
 ''In Manitoba, " said MT Richardson, ''there is herd of about fifty buffaloes owned by s. L. Bedson. Ernest E. 1 Thompson, who is assisting me in the museum, has written an interesting ac- count of them in recent pamphlet on the Mammals of Manitoba. A portion of this herd are half breeds, crossed with common cattle, another portion are three quarters bred, and the rest are pure blood. It may be a question whether the pure breed will continue itself, but it certainly could be maintained if looked after. This herd has developed from five buffalo calves, brought by some h. dians from Winnipeg in 1878. It re- luires no care beyond what is necessary to keep the different animals from wan dering or being stolen or shot. The buf- faloes are as hardy as in their wild state.
 MT. Thompson saw them late in Janu- aTy last year, when they were able to dig flown in the snow and find grass enough to keep them fat. During blizzard they would lie down in group, with their backs to the wind, and let the snow drift over them. The snow and their woolly coats kept them perfectly com fortable In January, 1884, one of the cows calved in the open prairie, where the thermometer registered 38 degs. be- low zero, and both COW and calf survived and did not appear to suffer.
 ''It seems to me that this is an import ant question for the farmers of the north west, and the national government ought to take measures for the encouragement of the raising of buffalo stock. An ordi- nary cowhide is worth $2, but it is use less as robe, while an average buffalo hide is worth $10 and as robe, is al most indispensable in the northern eli mate. The buffalo sheds it's woolly hair once year. This wool is easily gath cred, and it works up well into coarse yarn. One animal will yield ten to twelve pounds of raw wool. At one time there were factories for the manu- fracture of buffalo wool, but they have disappeared with the buffalo. The wool of the hybrid animal becomes darker and finer, and the buffalo hump disappears in the mixed breed. The animal itself be. comes more docile, though retaining its hardihood, and is better milker than the pure buffalo. This cross breeding affords a wide opportunity for stock raisers. .''-New York Tribune.