/ / 



Q In selling cattle in the old country, you say you have better results as a whole from the 

 polled ? A Taking the quality and the weight equal, I think the polled cattle will sell for 



more money. . . ,. . . 



Dr Smith — If the practice, skilfully performed, were allowed in Ontario, do you think it 

 -would he of advantage? A. I think it would be a bent-fit for the reason that a farmer could 

 turn a dozen head into a yard and feed them together with greater safety. 



Q. Would you say that a half per cent— one in 200— were injured by hooking, taking the 

 season's shipment < A. They might average one per cent, and might not. 



Q. Would you be in favor of dehorning? A. 1 think if it could be done without much 

 pain, it would be an advantage all round. 



Q. Have dehorned cattle a greater value for shipping purposes I A. 1 es ; on the linglisn. 

 market I believe they would realize from 85 to §8 per head more. 



\\ . W. Hodgson, lessee Toronto cattle market, was sworn and examined as follows: 



Mr. Drury. Have you been long connected with the cattle market, Mr. Hodgson ? A. 



About ten years. 1 was caretaker from 1882 to 1884, and since then have been les.ee of the 



market. 



Q. What is the system of handling cattle there? A. They arrive in carloads at the plat- 

 form, and are unloaded and driven into yards 30x70 feet. A carload of 18 to 27 head is put into 



each yard. 



Q. What number do you handle in a month in the shipping season ? A. We have had as 



many as 10,000 in a month. 



Q. How long do they usually remain in the market ? A. From G to 48 hours. 



Q. You handle not only cattle on sale but those going through to Montreal? A. Yes. 



Q. Do you notice if the cattle fight in the yards ? A. Yes, they do, very frequently. 



Q. Do you think that if all the cattle in the yards were dehorned that good .would result ? 



A. Yes. 



Q. Would there be a benefit to the cattle themselves ? A. Yes. 1 believe it would be a 

 good thing from a humane standpoint. In dehorning there is considerable pain, but that heals 

 ap. Frequently cattle coming into the yards are gored to pieces. I have seen gores 12 inches 

 long right into the flesh, not only one gash, but another animal a\ ill come along and rip up the 

 same gash, making it terribly painful. Some cattle are very timid and the others will set on 

 them and gore them right and left. 



Q. Have you seen cases of broken horns ? A. Yes. I don't suppose there is a day that 

 they don t come in with horns broken. 



Q. Have you seen much damage from horning on railway cars? A. Yes. If there is any 

 space room in the car one bullock will keep all the rest up in one end and do nothing but gore. 



Q. Do you agree that the practice of dehorning could only be justified where the benefit is 

 proportionate ? A. Yes. 



Q. And you believe dehorning to be desirable ? A. Yes, from a financial as well as a 

 humane standpoint. The animals are often depreciated in value by bruises through goring each 

 other. Then on the slippery planks in rushing to get away from each other they often fall and 

 spread out, and are practically done for then. 



Q. Con d you make comparisons between animals dehorned and those not dehorned, that 

 oome into the"market/ A. Only the natural polled cattle. Muleys never run at each other. 

 They will stand quietly or lie down. We have had black Galloways, and we never had any 

 trouble in that direction. 



Dr. Smith. — Have you seen animals brought into Toronto that were dehorned ?^A. No. 

 There might be one or two in a week, but not many. 



Mr. Oihson. — It has been suggested that the removal of the horns changes the disposition 

 of the animal. How about those born without horns ? A. Muley cattle may run at each other 

 but a stroke from the head will not hurt like a horn. My experience with muley cattle is that 

 they are not anxious to interfere with each other. Horned cattle seem to desire to gore from the 

 moment they get into the pen. Old cows are continually hook ng. 



Q. How about bulls 1 A. They will light, but as soon as they conquer that ends it. They 

 don't run about goring like steers. But if you had one bull loose and another tied up the loose 

 one would gore the other. 



Mr. Druky. — Would you say from your standpoint of handling a large number of cattle 

 that if dehorning were allowed the good would outweigh the evil? A. I think the benefits 

 would far outweigh the suffering or inconvenience caused to cattle while under the effects of the 

 operation. 



Mr. Smith. — You have no practical knowledge of dehorning ? A. No. But I see the evil 

 effects of the horn. 



