Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1897-06-26
aAISING THE BUFFALO.
EXPERIMENTS m DoMesricATiNc a
NEARLY EXTINCT ANIMAL.

success
With Common Csttie-crest tnercase
sc Value fu Buffalo Htdcs-Done.tt- |
Gated Racnsiocs as Hardy Wild.
While the buffsloes have become
nearly extinct on the Western ranges,
there are quite a number OF dOmesti-
,ated herds In tins country. and eN-
,eriments in cross breeding them with
common cattle are being pursued with
fair success. The first attempts 10
cross breed the buffaloeS were made ut
Lexington. Kentucky, in 1918; hat
the existence Of enormous herds of the
Wild animals or the plains az that time
acted as damper upon the enthusiasm
Of the early pioneers. and the work
was soon abandoned ~ that early
date a buffalo robe commanded very
little money. and. IN fact. mp - 1870
a bull robe was worth only 81. In
I 1883 robes had advanced 80 that
good one would ne; the hunter 81.
I shile to-day the hide Of buffalo Is
worth 800. and the mounted head Of
bull anywhere from $500 70 $500
The incentive u raise and domesti-
cate the buffalo Is thus much greater
/ than IN 1915. and the few herds that
are in existence are highly valued by
their owners. There Is a small herd
in the Texas Pan Handle. numbering
less than seventyfve, and a larger
one At Ravali. Montana. owned 10y Mr..
Charles Allard. numbering nearly tive
hundred. This latter herd Is the
largest owned by any private indi-
viiDal. In 1898 the Jones herd. 81
/ Omaha, was purchased by Mr.. Alard
for Sis. 600. and the thirty-one animals
in II were transferred 20 the Montana
ranch and joined with the others
Besides breeding the pure buiialoe-
for museums and other stock farms
Mr.. Allard has carried on e1tensiv,
experiments IN crossing the wild am
mails with the polled Angus stock The
cross breeds produced are magnifcen
, animals. With fur thu; is finer and los
e. than that 81 the buffalo. and will
81 meat thst j. very sweet and whole
5 some. Nearly AL OF the cross-bres
= animals retain much II the instinct o
D their Wild progenitors. They AZ
d hardy and easily reared. and are able :.
p stand storms that kill ordinary cattle
Z Nature adapted the buffalo 20 IN
e cold North western plains. and the
rarely succumbed - the billiards tina
to-day destroy our domesticated cattl
~ bv the thousands. When the sno'
( lies deep upon the ground in the dea
b, IL winter. the steers cannot pa
=. through u % get at the natural hay q
(, the plains. and they consequently III
!, of starvation and cold. The buiialoe'
-ecustoued 70 the fearful blizzard
Il bunch together in a storm aud form
wedge. facing the Wind and SNOW
with the bulls outside and the COW
and calves protected inside Of q
! formi able line az shaggy heads. TIN
p a herl survives the widest storm. an
when the snow has ceased - fall Ia.
, paw through tie snow and Ice az
\; I get az their favorite buffalo grass.
The cattle. on the contrary. n
i. driven before the storm, aud oft'
.n wander from sixty 20 one hundr'
s. miles from their accustomed rang
>. and. unless shelter j. provided tl
p. soon sink down exhausted The hors
T., turn their backs 90 the storm and iA
= wise soon yield 70 the cold. Tie ne
=. cross breeds. possessing many ~ :
al Marcy -uSlll&tl, o4 N-rl WIZ fi"-'-
h. tors, face the cold storms. and seem
NJ. survive the coolest blizzard witho
= great injury 70 their health. Tia
+, have been found 20 Doe almost as "
~ adapted 70 occupy the vast plains
e., their Wild ancestors. aud II they
not degenerate under TOO close
breeding. they may Vet roam In
countless numbers as the huffalOes ,
&c before the Ruthless slaughter Of
he hunters decimatei their numbers
he Scientific American.
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