THE DOMESTICATED BUFFALO.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 299, 22 August 1908, Page 6

THE DOMESTICATED BUFFALO.

A domestic animal that is quite unknown to the majority of husbandmen in Europe is the Hungarian buffalo, which in some respects rivals the best known breeds of cattle foi dairy purposes. According to some i ecently published particulars there are a considerable number of these cattle raised in Hungary. In 1895 they numbered 130,000, while the ordinary cattle numbered nearly six million head. I have been unable to ascertain (writes “Bruni” in the dAustralasian”) if the numbers of buffalo are increasing, but, £rom the larger number of domestic cattle, it may be naturally in-

ferred that they are more profitable generally than the buffalo. For dairy purposes the buffalo has great merit. The yield of milk is less than that of the ordinary dairy cow, but the profit lies in the peculiar richness of its fat. The average milking period of the buffalo is 285’8 days, against 286 9 of the Hungarian dairy cow, but the yield in gallons is 316 and 394 respectively. The percentage of fat in the buffalo milk is set down ai 7'52, as against 3’49 in the milk of the dairy cow. It is stated that the buffalo cow yields the equivalent of 500 gallons as against 280 gallons given by ordinary cows. An important difference has been discovered between the two kinds of milk when passed through a separator. Ordinary milk so treated retains but an infinitely small quantity of fat, but the buffalo separated milk contains 2'5 of fat. This is supposed to be owing to the fat globules in it being exceedingly small. As a consequence of this peculiarity, the buffalo milk can be utilised for the manufacture of cheese. Whether the Hungarian buffalo will ever take a leading place in the estimation of dairy farmers remains to be seen. Much may be done in the way of improving the race by skilful selection, but we know nothing of their beef-produc-ing qualities, and that is almost as important as the high quality of their milk.