rubbed, and worked till quite dry. After this, it is sewed together around the edges, excepting at one end. A smoke is made with rotten wood, in a hole dug in the earth, and the skin is suspended over it on sticks set up like a tripod, and thoroughly smoked; which completes the tanning, and renders it capable of bearing wet without losing its softness or pliability afterwards.

Buffalo robes are dressed in the same manner, excepting that the hair is not removed, and they are not smoked. They are generally divided into two parts; a strip is taken from each half on the back of the skin where the hump was, and the two halves, or sides, are sewed together, after they are dressed, with thread made of the sinews of the animal, and then the robe is ready for market.

One of the most useful applications of buffalo meat consists in the preparation of pemmican-an article of food of the greatest importance, from its portability and nutricious qualities. This is prepared by cutting the lean meat into thin slices, exposing it to the heat of the sun or fire, and, when dry, pounding it to a powder. It is then mixed with an equal weight of buffalo suet, and stuffed into bladders. Sometimes venison is used instead of buffalo beef. Sir John Richardson, while preparing for his recent Arctic expedition, found it necessary to carry with him pemmican from England. This he prepared by taking a round or buttock of beef, cut into thin steaks, from which the fat and membraneous parts were pared away, and dried in a kiln until the fibre of the meat became friable. It was then ground in a malt-mill, and mixed with nearly an equal weight of beef suet, or lard. This completed the preparation of the plain pemmican; but to a portion raisins were added, and another portion was sweetened with sugar. These latter changes were subsequently highly approved by the voyageurs. The pemmican was then placed in tin canisters, and well rammed down; and after the cooling and contraction of the mass, these were filled with melted lard through a small hole left in the end, which was then covered with a piece of tin, and soldered up. The total amount of beef used by Sir John Richardson amounted to 35,651 pounds; of lard, to 7,549 pounds; of currants, to 1,008 pounds; of sugar, to 280 pounds. These materials constituted 17,424 pounds of pemmican, costing at the rate of 1 shilling 7 pence (36 cents) per pound.

The meat biscuit of Mr. Borden, now manufactured from beef by him at Galveston in large quantities, is also of much economical importance. We conclude our article, already extended to unreasonable length, by presenting an account of some domesticated buffaloes, which, better than any language of our own, will present the question of domestication in a proper light. It is taken from Audubon and Bachman's Quadrupeds, as furnished these gentlemen by Robert Wickliffe, Esq., of Lexington, Ky., who has tried the experiment fully.

"The herd of buffalo I now possess have descended from one or two cows that I purchased from a man who brought them from the country called the upper Missouri. I have had them for about thirty years; but from giving them away, and the occasional killing of them by mischievous persons, as well as other causes, my whole stock at this time does not exceed ten or twelve. I have sometimes confined them in separate parks from other cattle, but generally they herd and feed with my stock of farm-cattle. They graze in company with them as gently as the

others. The buffalo cows, I think, go with young about the same time the common cow does, and produce once a year. None of mine have ever had more than one at a birth. The approach of the sexes is similar to that of the common bull and cow, under all circumstances, at all times, when the cow is in heat-a period which seems, as with the common cow, confined to neither day nor night, nor any particular season; and the cows bring forth their young, of course, at different times and seasons of the year, the same as our domestic cattle. I do not find my buffaloes: more furious or wild than the common cattle of the same age that graze with them.

"Although the buffalo, like the domestic cow, brings forth its young at different seasons of the year, this I attribute to the effect of domestication, as it is different with all animals in a state of nature. I have always heard their time for calving in our latitude was from March until July; and it is very obviously the season which nature assigns for the increase of both races, as most of my calves were from the buffaloes and common cows at this season. On getting possession of the tame buffalo, I endeavored to cross them as much as I could with my common cows, to which experiment I found the tame or common bull unwilling to accede; and he was always shy of a buffalo cow, but the buffalo bull was willing to breed with the common cow.

"From the common cow I have several half breeds, one of which was a heifer. This I put with a domestic bull, and it produced a bull calf. This I castrated, and it made a very fine steer, and when killed produced very fine beef. I bred from this same heifer several calves, and then, that the experiment might be perfect, I put one of them to the buffalo bull, and she brought me a bull-calf, which I raised to be a very fine, large animal-perhaps the only one to be met with in the world of this blood, viz: a three-quarter, half-quarter, and half-quarter of common blood. After making these experiments, I have left them to propagate their blood themselves, so that I have only had a few half-breeds, and they always prove the same, even by a buffalo bull. The full-blood is not as large as the improved stock, but as large as the ordinary stock of the country. The crossed or half-blood are larger than either the buffalo or common cow. The hump, brisket, ribs, and tongue of the full and half blooded are preferable to those of the common beef; but the round and other parts are much inferior. The udder or bag of the buffalo is smaller than that of the common cow; but I have allowed the calves of both to run with their dams upon the same pasture, and those of the buffalo were always the fattest; and old hunters have told me that,, when a young buffalo calf is taken, it requires the milk of two common cows to raise it. Of this I have no doubt, having received the same information from hunters of the greatest veracity. The bag or udder of the half-breed is larger than that of the full-blooded animals, and they would, I have no doubt, make good milkers.

"The wool of the wild buffalo grows on their descendants when domesticated, but I think they have less wool than their progenitors. The domesticated buffalo still retains the grunt of the wild animal, and is incapable of making any other noise, and they still observe the habit of having; select places within their feeding-grounds to wallow in

"The buffalo has a much deeper shoulder than the tame ox, but is: lighter behind. He walks more actively than the latter, and I think has.

more strength than a common ox of the same weight. I have broken them to the yoke, and found them capable of making excellent oxen; and for drawing wagons, carts, or other heavily-laden vehicles, on long journeys, they would, I think, be greatly preferable to the common ox. I have as yet had no opportunity of testing the longevity of the buffalo, as all mine that have died did so from accident, or were killed because they became aged. I have some cows that are nearly twenty years old, that are healthy and vigorous, and one of them has now a sucking calf. The young buf. falo calf is of a sandy-red or rufous color, and commences changing to a dark brown at about six months old, which last color it always retains. The mixed breeds are of various colors. I have had them striped with black on a gray ground, like the zebra; some of them brindled red; some pure red, with white faces; and others red, without any markings of white. The mixed bloods have not only produced in my stock from the tame and buffalo bull, but I have seen the half-bloods reproducing, viz: those that were the product of the common cow and wild buffalo bull. I was informed that, at the first settlement of the country, cows that were considered the best for milking were from the half blood down to the quarter, and even eighth, of the buffalo blood. But my experiments have not satisfied me that the half buffalo bull will produce again. That the half-breed heifer will be productive from either race, as I have before stated, I have tested beyond the possibility of doubt.

"The domesticated buffalo retains the same haughty bearing that distinguishes him in his natural state. He will, however, feed or fatten on whatever suits the tame cow, and requires about the same amount of food. I have never milked either the full blood or mixed breed, but have no doubt they might be made good milkers, although their bags or udders are less than those of the common cow; yet, from the strength of the calf, the damn must yield as much, or even more, milk than the common Cow."

V.

AGRICULTURAL CIRCULAR AND REPLIES.

AGRICULTURAL CIRCULAR.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

Washington, August, 1851.

SIR: It being the duty of the undersigned annually to collect information on the various branches of agriculture, you are addressed with the view of eliciting such information on this most important national interest as may be useful to embody in the Report for the present year. The questions are intended rather as hints or suggestions, than to be literally followed in shaping replies. Extending, as they do, over the agricultural products of the whole country, no one person can be expected to reply to all, but to such only as relate to subjects with which he is practically familiar.

The United States Census will furnish reliable data as to the quantity of grain and other crops, the number of domestic animals, &c.; so that such questions are omitted in this Circular. But it is desired to obtain the experience of practical men in whatever relates to the cultivation of the staple crops, together with suggestions as to new processes of culture; the introduction of new varieties of grains, seeds, and plants; the improvements in machines and implements of husbandry; and all like topics of universal interest to the agriculturist.

The wide circulation given to the Patent Office Reports renders it especially desirable that all new facts and discoveries of real practical value, relating to American husbandry, be embodied therein in a permanent form for the use of the public; and it is confidently hoped that the efforts of this Bureau to collect such information will be readily seconded by the agricultural community.

All communications will be duly acknowledged in the Report.

Information is respectfully solicited on the following and other points belonging to rural affairs:

Wheat. Is guano used in the production of this crop? And, if so, what is the gain in bushels per 100 pounds of the manure? What the average product per acre-time of seeding and of harvesting-preparation

of seed, and quantity used per acre-how many times and how deep do you plough-is the yield per acre increasing or diminishing-your system of rotation in crops-best remedies for Hessian flies and weevilsaverage price at your nearest market in 1851?

Corn.-Is guano used in the production of this crop? If so, in what way is it applied? What is the gain in bushels per 100 pounds of guano? State the average product per acre-cost of production per bushel-state the best system of culture-best method of feeding, whether whole or ground, cooked or raw. State, if you can, how much grain the manure formed by 10 bushels of corn consumed by hogs will add to an acre, if carefully saved and skilfully applied, at or before the time of planting.

Oats, Barley, Rye, Peas, and Beans.-Average yield of these several crops per acre-quantity of seed used-which crop least exhausting to land-are peas cultivated as a renovating crop; and, if so, with what success?

Clover and Grasses.-Quantity of hay cut per acre-best fertilizers for meadows and pastures-the grass seeds preferred in laying down meadows-quantity sown per acre-cost of growing hay per ton.

Dairy Husbandry.-Average yearly produce of butter or cheese per cow-comparative cost per pound of making butter and cheese-treatment of milk and cream-mode of churning-of putting down butter for market-average price of butter and of cheese.

Neat Cattle.-Cost of rearing till 3 years old usual price at that agevalue of good dairy cows in spring and in fall-how many pounds of beef will 100 pounds of corn produce-will a given amount of food yield more meat in a Durham, Devon, or Hereford, than in a native animal? How do you break steers to the yoke?

Horses and Mules. Is the growing of these animals profitable? What is the expense of rearing a colt or mule until 3 years old? How should brood mares and colts be treated? What is the best way to break young horses and mules for service?

Sheep and Wool.-Is wool-growing profitable-cost per pound of grow. ing coarse or fine wool-how many pounds of wool will a ton of hay produce are large or small sheep more profitable either for mutton or for their fleeces-how much more does it cost to produce a pound of fine merino than of ordinary coarse wool? The proportion of lambs annually reared to the number of ewes?

Hogs. What the best breeds-the cheapest method of producing pork and bacon-how many pounds of meat will 100 pounds of corn yield? The best method of putting up pork and curing bacon and hams.

Cotton.-Average yield of clean cotton per acre-cost of production per pound-what crops best grown in rotation with cotton-best preven tives against rust, army and boll worms-how deep do you usually plough for this crop-have you any experience in subsoiling or deep tillage for cotton-your experience in the use of cotton seed as a fertilizer-how can cotton lands best be improved without resting them. Is guano used; and, if so, with what result?

Sugar-cane.-Is the cane losing its vital force, and becoming more subject to premature decay than formerly-should not the seeds, in place of rattoons, be occasionally planted to produce new and healthier varieties-can you suggest any improvement in cultivation of the cane, or the