49 



It tried, and I freely admit that it is a great improvement. With the proper 

 appliances the operation is a very speedy one. After the animal is secured about 

 half a minute to each horn (or thereabouts) and out they go, and most of them 

 will go to eat or drink as if nothing had happened. Some will take longer to 

 heal than others, but very few will miss a meal from the effects of the operation, 

 and when the cattle are all in the yard together the improvement is very plain. 

 The wicked ones, instoad of spending their time chasing round the timid ones, 

 will eat their feed and let the others eat, about the same as sheep. And with 

 bulls the dehorning is particularly necessary, thereby lessening the danger to life 

 and property, and I think it should be made compulsory to dehorn all bulls over 

 -a year old." 



Walter H. Brown, Manager Newberry Stock Farm, Cassville, Wis. : " On 

 the 1st of February, 1888, we dehorned eighty head, sixty-five cows, balance 

 yearlings and two year olds. There were thirty cows giving milk and they did not 

 seem to mind the operation, not even falling off in their milk. Those that were 

 coming in all did well ; there was not one in the eighty lost a meal or a nio-ht's 

 sleep. In sawing off the horn you want to go close to the head, leave a little hair 

 on the horn. There is not a farmer for miles around here but has his cattle 

 dehorned. There is a liquid that you can rub on the young calf just where the 

 horn starts, which absorbs the substance of the horn. It must be applied before 

 they are four weeks old. We applied it" to one of our calves last spring, and it 

 proved effectual, I think it is nothing more than some strong acid. I would 

 favor experimenting a little on the calf." 



C. L. McComber, Deer Park, Illinois : " I am, and have been for six years, en- 

 gaged in the business and have dehorned hundreds of head. The best age is at 

 two and three years old for cattle which are to be kept for a number of years. The 

 reason is, the nearer the horn is developed the neater and surer the object will be 

 attained. While the operation is being performed no doubt there is pain, but it is of 

 short duration. There cannot be any pain after, as cattle will immediately o-o to 

 grazing. Occasionally some blood follows the operation, especially if cattle are in a 

 heated condition. Young cattle bleed more than older ones. I never knew an 

 animal to die from it. I use a narrow saw-blade about seven teeth to the inch ; 

 stand in front, hold cattle in a stanchion and use f inch rope properly adjusted 

 round head and drawn out with set of blocks, (three pulleys). I use hot tar, es- 

 pecially in late spring, say March or April. Saw as close to the head as you can. 

 Chicago dealers will pay ten to fifteen cents per hundred more for dehorned cat- 

 tle to send on east. There is no use in cattle having horns in a country where 

 they are protected from beasts of prey. No one would feel safe if an insane man 

 was running around with a pitchfork in his hands — no telling how soon he might 

 hurt some one — cattle are the same." 



A. J. Gardner, Eddyville, Iowa : " With a few rare exceptions I have never 

 known any bad effects to follow dehorning. If the animal is in a thriving con- 

 dition and the operation is properly done, it will generally go on grazing in a few 

 minutes after being released, as if nothing had happened". The animaf does not 

 appear to shrink but very little, if any at all. I have even had cows 

 .dehorned without checking their flow of milk in the least. Some cows, however, 

 will shrink in their milk for about a week. The exceptions are generally where 

 the operation is unskilfully performed or where the animal is in a weak or un- 

 thrifty condition. Aside from the injuries and suffering inflicted by horned cat- 

 tle on one another, I will mention one or two advantages in dehorning. In the 

 first place they have no fear of one another and consequently will thrive bet- 

 4 (d.c.) 



