The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-07
EXPERIMENTS IN BREEDING.
Half-Breed Buffaloes - AlbinO SeS
Gulls Domesticated

80 SNS
Gulls Domesticated.
ST. PAUL, Mimi. Aug. A good many ex-
periments have been made in this State in the
cross breeding and domestication OF wild fowls
and fishes. Many others have been carried on
near here in the domestication Of big game
and in It's adaptation by breeding for ordinary
farmyard purposes. These experiments have
been interesting. but so far. according to the
testimony of those who have made them. com
paratively little has been accomplished OF any
practical good to the sportsman or the market.
Some years ago some brothers from eastern
Montana secured a buffalo bull and some COWS.
and travelled about the country exhibiting
them. Finally bad luck drove the exhibitors to
an abandoned farm In western Wisconsin, and
there they settled. buying a few cows and
breeding their bufIaloes. both full and half
breeds. They have been at work for half a
dozen years. and now claim to have succeeded
In working into a strain of blood that is OF great
value. The half-breed COW bufFaloes are larger
and moro vigorous than the ordinary cattle.
and are able to stand the Northern winters out
of doors without loss or apparent shrinkaGe Of
milk. They are good mixers and breed we'll.
and in addition have a fine fur. soft and silky,
which seems to be considerably better than
that Of the original buffalo. So far they have
killed mono Of the now cattle for the hides. hay
ing devoted their energies to increasing their
herd. but they will be in such q position In an
other year that the revenue from buffalo skins
will be no small matter. From time to time
new wild bulls have been brought from the
far West, till they now have three. sufficient,
they claim. to keep the strain strong for a long
time to come. Besides breeding these crosses
they are keeping up the full bred wild buffaloes.
though they have discovered that the animals
crossed animals. The flesh Of both the Wild
and the cross cattle Is said to be excellent. and
s seS aRl'R Randr sEO acres ss S s large bsen sif fsnced ff IN fo Of
these cattle, consisting OF heavily wooded hills.
% %Ijd b% rSynS6: a aTa n with E FdIy re Io and h here Teu the
Three years ago the State hatchery raised
some albino trout, a cross between the brook
trout OF the mountain stream and a breed the
nature q, which, the commission is in doubt
about. These albinos were at once, separated
by Themselves. They have developed into fish
OF magnificent appearance. with all the charac-
~teri5tlo gold and crimson spots of the brook
trout laid over q ground almost white, instead
OF q dark body; as usual. The original lot are
P pound tfG t0 q s1 ponn ID s ss9 i a Saff i I0R Wei afa a aTSn the
commission Is trying TO start Q regular breedof
these the tis n tt though with II Ind success ;n as
that will give 2 continuous strain, While these
fish are beautiful. it Is not likely they will ever
be Of much value except in breeding pools and
Sheltered places, where they will, be, protected
liant that they will be unable to hide from their
ers; in park lakes. private ponds. aquariums
S Snins 9ther ad 1Lke places oS so howeye II they will be a
ment Of b%rilliancy Of color. which renders them
visible IN deep water and makes all their move
Fishermen along the north shores of Lake
Superior have been in the habit OF, bringing up
sea gulls, every spring, either Matching the
after they had been Ratehed by the mother.
Never. so far as reported results show. have
after Matching, but in several cases those
raised from eggs in the yards OF the fishermen
by the calls of their wild brethren when the
fishermen have. been able to keep the young
birds captured from their mothers by putting
T paTt land an f0 snd ha insiqhs sid thPe a6t s wftfy a nj
the autumnsi Then the wild birds regularly
S SqiE SyeT pot the ., pens pen soi fa Ind IL 9Ds the N, peculiar,
Win their Kind, Fishermen say that often the
close beside, the cabins without fear. and take
food from the hands Of those who. the season
year they very seldom come back. On the other
hand, most Of the, birds they raise from the
TO year. and il they travel off in the fall to come
back in the spring, to the same SPOT. Domsstii-
large enough to be good for something. and
their wings spread three or four feet, but when
larger than robins. and their fieshy cannot be
eaten; The eggs are good eating. but there are
| rev OF them.
In Carver county n farmer has succeeded in
demonstrating a magnificent mallard drake.
and has a flock Of some thirty-nve or forty half
breed ducks. They have bred now for two or
three generations and are apparently perma-
nent. The half-breeds are richer of flesh and
larger than the common duck and have the
beauty OF plumage of the mallard. which a s ex-
celled in colors by scarcely any bird OF the field.
Once IN a while. during the spring and fall
hybrlds take wing and are seen no more. But
the farmer has found a very effective way of
preventing this and has Clipped the wings of
all his flock.
Efforts have been made in several cases to
domesttcate prairie chickens and quails. but
invariably without success. Many a brood Of
young quails have become as tame as common
bnrnyard fowls. but there always comes a time
when they strike for their family home In the
underbrush and never reappear. The chick
ems every. fall make for the nearest wheat field
and are either shot or fly away forever.