H P Garland

The Water Buffalo: Its Characteristics and Habits Together with a Description of the Preparation of Its Hide for Making Rawhide Loom Pickers H P Garland

An experience of many years has shown us that but few of those who use rawhide loom pickers are familiar with the material of which they are made, which leads us to believe that a description of the buffalo, its habits and characteristics, the marketing of its hides and their preparation for loom pickers may prove interesting. There is but little published about the buffalo, aside from a technical description of the animal and its habitat, so that it has been necessary for us to go for information to those who know the buffalo in its native surroundings and to those who handle its hides. The subject matter of the following pages has, therefore, largely been obtained from life-long residents of the Far East and buffalo hide merchants in both the Orient and England. The U. S. Commerce Reports have also furnished interesting information, and a personal investigation by the author on the spot has brought out much that is interesting and is responsible for most of the pictures with which this book is illustrated. The information concerning the interbreeding of domestic cattle with the humped Indian cattle is given by a representative of American packing interests in Texas and South America. It is believed that this little book gives much information not before generally known, and fit succeeds in proving of interest to those who use "buffalo" or rawhide loom pickers, it will have accomplished its purpose. This book was originally published in 1922.