76 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



secured a very uneven lot of heifers, a few were good but more of 

 them were not what pleased me. A Jersey or Guernsey bull may 

 be bred to grade cows with good results. 



Q. Do you dehorn your cows? A. We dehorn by simply 

 blistering those little buttons on the head before they adhere +o the 

 scalp. 



Q. What do you use for a blister? A. Caustic potash. 



Q. Would you dehorn a cow with long horns ? 



A. Yes, it is a humane act. Several years ago I got to de- 

 horning cows and the humane society got after me, but I tell you 

 they got off in a hurry, when I told them a few things. 



Q. Do you use a clip or a saw? A. I use a saw, and I gen- 

 erally cut down a little under the skin and start a little blood. They 

 will usually heal right over, so you cannot tell the animals ever 

 had any horns, and sometimes even an expert cannot tell they ever 

 had any. I use a sav/, because I think a clip has a tendency to 

 crush the horn. 



Q. I want to ask you what influence the feed has on the milk? 

 A. Well, if I live to be old as this man has represented me (3,000 

 years), I could not find that out entirely. Let us go back thirty or 

 thirty-five years. I was on the farm, making my own butter, and 

 I reached this conclusion: that possibly (I use the word "possibly") 

 I could have the amount of fat in the milk somewhat improved by 

 the condition of the cow, but I was never quite sure of that, and I 

 tell you it is not worth fooling with. 



Q. You can increase the milk by that means, can you not? 



A. Oh, yes. 



Q. Why do so many people think the feed makes the cow give 

 rich milk? Is that possible? 



A. I don't think it is. I don't think the food has much in- 

 fluence on the richness of the milk. 



THE CARE OF MILK. 



(Prof. O. H. Eckles, Columbia, Mo.) 



It is a well-known fact, that a great variety of odors and 

 tastes are found in milk and dairy products at different times. 

 Some of these are desirable and some undesirable. In fact, the 

 market value of butter and cheese depends largely upon having the 

 proper taste and odor present and avoiding the objectionable ones. 



