Milford chronicle., 1906-05-04
TRAINING gUFFALoEs.
'tIr. Baynes Meets Difficulties In Ex-
perIments with Calves.

Rr. Baynes Meets Difficulties In Ex-
periments with Calves.
The domestication of the buffalo has
its exciting moments. as Ernest Harold
Baynes. the secretary Of the American
Bison society. discovered when he at
tempted it. One Of the reasons which
Mr.. Baynes advances why the buffalo
should be preserved is its usefulness
Not only IS the animal a source Of ex-
cellent meat and Of articles of raiment
but he believes that it would make
desirable beast of burden Before en-
gaging in the organization of the So
ciety he undertook 10 demonstrate this
10 himself. Undetermined not only to
train bunaioes as draft animals. but to
secure a series Of photographs illus
trating the process The calves on
which the experiment was made were
secured from the fine herd on the Cor
bin estate, which is only few miles
from Mr. Baynes' home in New Hamp
hire
One Of the things which Mr.. Baynes
scovered early was that buffalo moth
much like other four footed moth
dislike any interference with their
ring Mr. Baynes proposed to pho
ph the calves which were to be
bjects of his experiment just aft
were born. The picture most
fly photographed upon his retina
attempted % secure his pho
was the image OF great !
L.
down NAd stubby tail aloft, twitching |
with excl, ,ment The camera was
smashed.
The transfer Of the four calves from
the Corbin estate to Meriden, Mr..
Baynes home. fifteen miles over the
mountains, was productive Of a series
OF buttng contests The calves were
10 be transported in crates, two in
each. The first match was with the
men engaged in Grating them. Each
man in turn was bOwled over by the
young but energetic things before they
were inclosed between the Stats Of the
crates The second contest was be-
tween the two occupants in each crate.
As soon as the second calf had been
put in the two fell to butting each other
energetically. The calves reached Mr..
Baynes' home at o'clock at night.
The crates were opened by lantern light
in a barn in which thirty foot pen
had been built. The calves shot out as
II fred from a gun and Immediately
began butting their shadows on the
sides of the pen and their neighbOrs
from the other crate. The light in the
lantern was Intentionally extlngulshed,
and Mr. Baynes entered the pen to
make friends with his new charges.
He groped about in the mOmentary
quietness for one of the calves, but one 1
OF them found him first. Then all the
others got his range, and he retreated. {
but not without losing his equilibrium.
When Mr.. Baynes appeared with bot :
ties Of milk. as he did at frequent In [
tervals in the succeeding days, for the I
calves were only three weeks old when ]
he got them. they again butted him,
not as an enemy. but simply for pure ?
Joy. b
In course Of time they were fitted q
with halters, then with yokes, and at B
the age Of four months pair Of them 4
were hitched to heavy stoneboat and T
driven for FIVE miles by means Of reins L
and ordinary pony bits. This pair was ],
finally put into harness and driven to b
a stoutly constructed cart. When be- Y
tween i've and six months old the team |
was exhibited at New Hampshire ag- o
ricultural fair, where Il created a SEN b
sation by the speed it displayed on the r
track. Mr.. Baynes believes from his v
experiments that when buffaloes are E
once broken they will prove faster, s
stronger and Of greater endurance than Y
Dxen.-New York Tribune. 3
n