1893 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
5i9 
Live Stock Matters. 
FORKFULS OF FACTS. 
Whole Wheat for Milk. —The present 
low price of wheat leads one to inquire 
what is its feeding value for dairy stock? 
A few years ago, when wheat was un¬ 
salable because somewhat damaged in 
the field, I had some ground and fed to 
the cows. The flow of milk was good, 
but the quality fell off so much that I 
sold the balance and bought bran. A 
neighbor, who kept over 100 cows and 
had a creamery, had a similar experi¬ 
ence. What does The Rural say ? 
West Chester, Pa. w. o. e. 
R N.-Y.—Our own experience, which 
is quite limited, has not been like yours. 
We found that whole ground wheat gave 
us slightly better results, so far as qual¬ 
ity goes, than bran, which is what we 
expected from the chemical analysis. We 
shall be glad to hear from others in re¬ 
gard to this matter. 
The Horn Fly. —Small flies get in 
clusters on the roots of cattle horns and 
eat through and have killed several here. 
What wash is. the best to keep the tor¬ 
menting flies off the horses ? o. k. s. 
Elgin, Ill. 
R N.-Y.—This is the horn fly. Week 
before last, on page 487, we gave the 
recipe of “gnat oil” which is said to 
drive them away. The kerosene emulsion 
is also said to keep them off. To make 
th ! s, dissolve three ounces of soap in 
three pints of water and add 1% pint of 
kerosene, stir until an emulsion is formed 
and then dilute to three gallons. Good 
nets on the horse* or frequent sponging 
with water in which buhach has been 
soaked will help. 
Grain for Cows on Pasture. —When 
cows are fir=t turned on pasture, we have 
found that to continue the grain ration 
until the pasture is abundant is an ad¬ 
vantage whether milk or butter produc¬ 
tion is the object sought. The same grain 
ration fed in winter may be used, but in 
decreasing quantities, and when the pas¬ 
ture becomes abundant, it should cease 
altogether. During the continuance of 
the period of abundant and succulent 
pastures, no form of grain ration that 
may be used will repay the outlay so far 
as increased milk production is con¬ 
cerned, but the question as to the saving 
effected in the amount of grass eaten 
from the pastures has yet to be deter 
mined. Until this is done, we would not 
be justified in saying that grain fed to 
cows in milk was wasted so long as they 
had free access to abundant pastures. 
As soon as the fresh pastures begin to 
fail, a grain supplement should again be 
given. Its component parts should em¬ 
brace, so far as possible, grains which 
the locality will produce freely. In this 
country — about Guelph, Canada — it 
would mean the free use of ground oats, 
barley and pease, in the proportions of, 
say, two or three, one and one. 
Tprof.] thos. siiaw. 
NO CASE AGAINST DISHORNERS. 
AN ABLE LEGAL OPINION. 
Some time in the month of April last, 
a farmer living at Port Dickinson, near 
the city of Binghamton, had 14 cows dis¬ 
horned. The Society for the Prevention 
of Cruelty to Animals took the matter 
up and propcsed to make a test case of 
it The society secured the services of 
the Hon. Geo. B. Curtis, one of the ablest 
lawyers of the city of Binghamton, to 
attend to it. I herewith give you his 
opinion : 
Some time ago I was retained by the society to In¬ 
vestigate the matter of dishorning cattle, with the 
view of bringing an action in this county to test the 
law. I have examined the law and find that the pro¬ 
visions of the penal code make It a misdemeanor for 
a person to “ unjustltiably injure an animal.” I have 
become satisfied that dishorning Is not a violation of 
the penal code, and shall so report to the officers at 
the head of the society who desired the action to be 
brought. While the dishorning of cattle appears to 
persons who have not seen It done to be cruel and 
brutal, yet in fact it is not. It Is a well-known fact that 
a milch cow' is a very sensitive animal, and will show 
upon slight Injury, excitement or nervous strain a 
loss of milk. Investigation shows that cows that 
have been dishorned show no change either in the 
quantity or quality of the milk produced. There Is 
no evidence of great pain, and they will eat, chew 
their cuds, and show no signs of suffering from the 
effect of the process 
There have been about 2,000 cattle dishorned In 
Broome County, and I have found that It was done 
by the most Intelligent and humane dairymen, those 
who take excellent care of their herds, and the pro¬ 
cess Is approved by them. I am also Informed by 
Prof. Roberts, Law and Wing, of Cornell University, 
who have experimented with and investigated the 
matter, that It Is beneficial. The horns are sawed 
off near the bass, which Is followed by some bleed¬ 
ing, and then the parts heal over and become hard. 
The cows, after the operation, are less vicious, and 
will lie down together like a flock of sheep. A num¬ 
ber will drink at the same watering trough at the 
same time, and they keep in better condition for 
producing milk. I do not think the penal code as It 
now stands needs to be revised for the purpose of 
legalizing the process. I have been unable to tlnd 
any persons in this county who are competent from 
knowledge and experience to give evidence In such a 
case who wou.d aid the people In a prosecution. 
How the Job is Done. 
Mr. Curtis speaks of 2,000 head being 
dishorned in Broome County. I have 
dishorned since December 1, 1802, over 
1,200 head, and I have never seen a cow 
that showed any symptoms of suffering 
after the operation. Very frequently 
they were chewing their cuds within 10 
minutes after. As for the pain while 
dishorning, allowing that it is extremely 
great, it is not long, as I take a horn 
off in from three to six seconds. I have 
frequently been timed while cutting, and 
have cut a pair of ordinal y horns from a 
nine year-old Short-horn cow in eight 
seconds, this time including the time of 
changing the saw from the one horn to 
the other. I use a very sharp, fine¬ 
toothed meat saw, and aim to take one- 
fo irth of an inch of the skin with 
the horn. I would rather take more 
than less, as I find from experience that 
a cow’s head will skin over so that all 
trace of the horn will disappear if we 
get the root of the horn; otherwise the 
stub will grow. It does not hurt any 
more to do it as it should be done than 
to do it as it is frequently done by the 
unskilled. I secure the cow’s head firmly 
in a box, which is made as follows: Cut 
2 by 8-inch plank 30 inches long, and one 
2 by (J-inch 30 inches long. Nail the 
8-inch planks on to the edges of the 
other; thus you will have a box that 
will be six inches wide, six inches deep 
and 30 inches long. At one end bore a 
two-inch auger hole in the bottom, and 
about three inches from the end. 
This box is fastened to the st inchion 
and manger at the proper height, with 
the hole at the outer end from the cow. 
Put the cow in the stanchion; put a 
stout rope around her neck; then slip a 
noose around her nose, put the rope 
through the hole in the box and draw 
her head down into it. Have a ring back 
from the box and near the floor to which 
to fasten the rope or through which to 
draw it. Put a bale strap from a two- 
horse harness around the box and around 
her neck back of the horns, and a hold¬ 
back strap from a single harness around 
the box and her nose just below her eyes; 
put straps through the buckles but do 
not buckle. One man sits in the manger, 
takes hold of the ends of these straps, 
pulls them tight and holds her head 
firmly in the box while another man 
holds the anchor rope. I now step in 
front of the cow’s head and can see just 
where to saw to do it as it should be 
done. I start the saw on the skin, about 
one-fourth of an inch below the horn, 
make quick motions which numbs the 
horn, and as soon as the horn drops I 
saw the other likewise ; then I take a 
sharp knife and cut the skin that holds 
the bottom of the horn and the work is 
done. I loosen the rope and strap 3 as 
soon as the horn is off, so that the cow’s 
head is not kept confined more than 10 
or 15 seconds at the most. 
Bleeding; Results are Good. 
Some will bleed, others will not. I 
have never known an instance when one 
has bled enough to hurt her. Sometimes 
T have cut horns that bled very freely, 
and the owner was nervous over it and 
to quiet his nerves I have stopped tbe 
blood, first with a compress and after¬ 
wards by tying the vein. If this cannot 
b done, I sear the vein with a red hot 
iron. When a person says that dishorn¬ 
ing is inhuman, be does not know what 
he is talking about. It will be but a few 
years before cows with horns will be a 
curiosity. I have 22 head, all kept in 
one stable where there is a tank of water. 
We let them all loose at a time if we like 
—yearlings, calves, cows, large and small 
They will crowd up to the tank and 
drink; if a small one gets there first, 
her right to drink at that time is as good 
as one larger. When in the yard in the 
winter on a bright sunny day, it is amus¬ 
ing to see so many lie down together, all 
as close as so many sheep. I almost 
believe when I see them lying down 
together and my mind reverts to tbe 
time when my cows had horns, when 
one or two would put a whole multitude 
to flight, one or two would occupy the 
shed and all others stand out in the 
storm, that tbe time has already come 
spoken of in the Bible, when “the lamb 
and the lion shall lie down together.” 
I say that dishorning has come to stay. 
It is humane. Last winter a bill was 
presented in our State legislature to 
legalize dishorning. I could see no rea¬ 
son for such an act, and thought it 
unnecessary. If dishorning is cruel, 
what of castrating ? Since my cows 
were dishorned I have not had one that 
gave bloody milk from being hooked. I 
ha?e no abortions. My cows are not all 
scarred by being hooked. I have from 
25 to 40 sheep and from two to five colts 
and young horses. All run in a yard 
together with the cows, when the cows 
are nut of the stable. I have not had a 
colt or sheep injured since the cows were 
dishorned. I can let them run together 
with perfect safety. c. m lusk. 
“Don’tTobaccoSpitorSmokBlfourLife&way.” 
Name of little book just received — tells about 
Notnbac, tbe wo-.derfnl, harmless, economical cure 
for chewing- smoking—cigarette or snuff habit. You 
run no physical or tlnanclal risk, for Notnbnc is abso¬ 
lutely guaranteed to cure or monoy refunded. Book 
mailed iree. The Sterling Remedy Company, 
Box 1U0, Indiana Mineral Springs, Ind 
GUERNSEY BULLS. 
Imported and home-bred, from two months to 
two years old. Several eligible for Show-Yard 
honors. Address J. L. HOPE, 
(Supt. for H. McK. Twomhly), 
Madison, N J. 
KNOB MOUNIAIN POULTRY FARM. 
B. ROCl 8 and 8. C. BROWN LEG¬ 
HORNS a spec alty. Eggs and birds for sale. 
MAHI/>N SAGER, Orangeville, Pa. 
Buckley’s Watering Device 
FOR WATERING STOCK IN THE STABLE. 
C. E. BUCKLEY & CO., 
Patentees and Manufacturers, Dover Plains, N. Y 
KINGSTON FOUNDRY AND MACHINE 
CO., Limited, Kingston, Ont., Canada, Sole Manu¬ 
facturers for the Dominion of Canada. 
i3f RELIABLE AGENTS WANTED. 
ATTENTION ! 
Farmers and Cattle Raisers, 
are you troubled with “THE TEXAN 
FLY?” If so, WE can help you. Our 
Death on Cattle Fly 
is a sure remedy. POSI'ITVELY harmless 
to cattle. The BEST thlDg yet produced. 
Write for descriptive circular and price. 
C. E. MILLS OIL CO.,Syracuse, N.Y. 
c2?me” r o k f VETERINARY SURGEONS 
Lectures will begin OCTOBER 2, 181)3. For 
Circular address II. D. GILL, V. S., Sec., 882 B. 27th 
Btreet, New York City. 
GUERNSEYS! 
The GRANDEST of DAIRY Breeds. 
Combining the richness of the Jersoy with the size 
approximate to the Holstein or Short-horn, but 
standing ALONE and unequaled In producing the 
richest colored butter In mid-winter on dry feed. 
Gentle as pets, persistent milkers and hardy In con¬ 
stitution, they combine more qualifications for the 
dairy or family cow than any other breed. In the 
“ Old Brick Guernsey Herd” 
are daughters and granddaughters of the renowned 
Squire Kent, 1504 A. G.C. C. and of the tinest strains 
on Guernsey or In America—Comus, son of Squire 
Kent and Statelllte, son of Kohlm head the herd. All 
particulars in regard to Breed and Herd cheerfully 
given. 8. P. TABElt WILLETTS, 
“ The Old Brick,” KOSLYN, L. I., N. Y. 
Recorded Berkshires. 
Why pay high expressage ? You can buy the 
best direct Imported blood near home. The 
“ Wills wood Herd ” will have about ICO pigs 
to select from. Order at once. Prices lowest 
for the best, Catalogue on application 
WILLS A. SEWARD, Budd’s Lake, N. J. 
FARM POULTRY. 
FINIS TREK FARM, Jamesburg, N. J. 
High-Class Shropshire^ 
We now 'ffer 10 imported two-year-old rams from 
the flocks of Bowen Jones and Minton, that will 
weigh 300 pounds and shear 15 pounds or more. Also, 
40 home-bied yearling ra-us from Imported stock. 
Our tlrst ’95 Importation will arrive in July. 
•I HE WILLOWS. Paw Paw, Mich. 
WILLIS WHINERY, WINONA, O., 
Breeder and Shipper of 
IMPROVED CHESTER-WHITE SWINE. 
Largest and finest herd In the world. Over 30' head 
on hand. Special Inducements for the next 30 days. 
Write at once for clrculais. This herd will be at the 
World's Fair Sept. 25 to Oct. 14. See It sure. 
Poland China Swine Head¬ 
quarters. D V. MAGIE, Orlglna- 
« tor, Oxford, O Send for circulars. 
The Most Important American Book on Live Stock. 
SECOND EDITION, 
Revised and Enlarged. 
Nearly 100 full-page engravings, after 
sketches from life by the best artists, 
representing nearly every breed of 
horses, cattle, sheep and swine. 
Horses, 
Cattle , 
Sheep 
and 
Swine. 
By GEO. W. CURTIS, M. S. A., 
Director Texas Ex. Station and Professor 
of Agriculture In the Agricultural and 
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Already Adopted as a Standard Text 
Book on Domestic Animals in 18 of 
the Leading Agricultural Colleges of 
the United States. 
lstlcs, xMeriis, Objectl ns, Adaptability, etc., of each 
with Data re^ardlnK its Registry Association, Scale 
of Points, W hen Used, etc. 
The Hints on Selection, Care and Management are 
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ful breeders of the i.nlted States and Canada, each giving 
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1 HE *■'h,CONI) EDITION has been carefully pre- 
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down to date, numerous additions rrade, and many val¬ 
uable suggestions from competent stockmen and instruc¬ 
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especially complete, the author having embodied therein 
a carefully prepared “ Study In Anlnial Physics,” regard¬ 
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“This is a careful scientific consideration of the mechan¬ 
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Mechanical College of Texas. 
Price, in handsome cloth binding, $2; half sheep, 
182.75; half morocco, $3.50. 
THE RURAL PUBLISHING CO., Cor. Chambers and Pearl Sts,, New York. 
DRIED 
/ ORDERS TAKEN MY THE 
BREWERS’ GRAINS. 1 36 Forest 8treet, Brooklyn, N. Y. 
