4888 
THE RUBAI. MEW-YOBKER, 
386 
plant, with just the right foliage, and multi¬ 
plies neither too slowly nor rapidly in runners. 
Tne bloom is perfect with just stamens enough 
to fully fertilize, so that every bloom makes a 
berry. The berry is large, too, very large, 
symmetrical, regular and conical, with a neck 
of a brilliant, glossy, crimson scarlet, with 
seeds sufficiently elevated to protect the sur¬ 
face, golden, flesh rather firm and meaty, 
never hollow at core, quality much better 
than Crescent. The productiveness is all that 
could be desired, and the berries hold out large 
to the last. This year it produced at the rate of 
over 15,000 quarts to the acre, in matted rows, 
3% feet from center to center. The plants en¬ 
dure our intense August heat and drought re¬ 
markably well. Mr. Nimou is willing that the 
variety be named Parker Earle, providing it 
continues to do well, and it meets Mr. Earle’s 
approval. He will send the Rural plants 
further along for testing at the Rural Grounds. 
It will not be introduced unless it holds up 
under test. No plants are for sale at any price. 
Please do not call “No. 3” Parker Earle, any 
more. I trust others will observe this request. 
T. V. MUNSON. 
<i lj e 
DEHORNING CATTLE. 
% . 
DR. P. L. KILBORNE. 
without chang ng. The rope should be %to% 
inch, 18 feet long aud have a small loop or a 
inch iron ring in one end The other 
end should be tied with a cord—not knotted— 
to prevent untwisting. The animal being 
placed in the stanchion, the loop or ring is 
passed over the neck and brought down'to the 
angle of the jaw where the rope of the other 
side is looped upon itself through the ring and 
the loop passed up over the nose aud drawn 
tight. Care should be taken to carefully ad¬ 
just the rope so as to fit tight and allow of no 
slack when the head is raised. Now throw the 
other end of the rope over the cross bar, be¬ 
tween the stanchion and post, Fig. 183, and 
Si *1 _ 1 
The results thus far obtained in the dehorn¬ 
ing of adult cattle seem to justify a continu¬ 
ance of the practice wherever the removal of 
the horns is thought desirable. The argu¬ 
ments in favor of and against the operation 
have already been given in considerable de¬ 
tail. That the operation can be easily and 
safely performed is well established. I have 
yet to learn of any serious ill effects from the 
operation when it was properly performed. 
That it ought to be allowed from a humane 
standpoint has been repeatedly admitted in 
the lower courts. The temporary pain caused 
by sawing off the horn is unquestionably quite 
severe for the moment; but in the end the suf¬ 
fering is much less than that due to the con¬ 
tinued daily worry and goading occasioned 
by the presence of the horns, to say nothing of 
the fact that persons as well as animals are 
quite frequently disemboweled or otherwise 
fatally injured by their use. As a humane 
operation it is, in my opinion, to be encour¬ 
aged rather than condemned. 
SECURING THE ANIMALS. 
This is the most difficult part of the opera¬ 
tion, in fact, the only part where the beginner 
is liable to have any trouble. Without a suit¬ 
able place and appliances it is almost impos- 
• sible to hold the heads of strong cattle suffi¬ 
ciently quiet so that they cannot injure either 
themselves or the operator while the horn is 
being sawed. A strong stanchion is necessary 
for the purpose. This can be readily made by 
firmly setting two nine-foot posts 4% feet 
apart, and three feet in the ground. To these 
posts bolt a strong stanchion as shown in Fig. 
181. The space for the neck should be about 
six inches and be midway between the posts. 
The frame should be made of 2x0 inch pine or 
other equally strong lumber and be well bolted 
together so as to be perfectly safe. 
A chute or narrow stall ;just wide enough 
for the animal to stand in may be added be¬ 
hind the stanchion. This will prevent the ani¬ 
mals from swinging about, and if they throw 
themselves they can simply sit on their hips 
and cannot twist around to injure or break 
the neck. The sides of the chute should 
be boarded up close to prevent the animal 
from getting the feet through. One side 
should be a strong door which can be 
readily swung out or removed, so that the ani¬ 
mals can be easily taken out if they go down 
aud refuse to rise, as is often the case. Such 
a chute is not necessary, but it if very desir¬ 
able where many animals are to be dehorned. 
I'o tie the animals use a strong halter, or a 
rope applied to the head, as in Fig. 182, the 
— ■■ i 
Fig. 183. 
raise the head as high as possible. Then pass 
the end through the ring under the jaw aud 
back around behind the post and off to one 
side as shown in the figure. (Iu larger ani¬ 
mals the head should come well around on to 
the post, instead of just reaching it, as in Fig. 
18.j.) This draws the head up and to one side 
where it can easily be held by one man. 
THE OPERATION. 
Any small, fine carpenter’s saw or meat saw 
will answer the purpose. But inasmuch as it 
is almost impossible to keep the head perfectly 
quiet, it is best to have a short, stiff saw that 
will not be easily bent. The tenon saw, com¬ 
monly called tenant saw, Fig. 184, with its 
Fig. 182 
latter is preferable because it will fit more 
closely and can be used on any size of head 
short blade and stiff back, is one of the best 
for the purpose. The teeth should be fine aud 
sharp so as to give a clean, smooth-cut surface. 
With a pair of scissors cut away the hair at 
the base of the horn, or wet and paste it back 
to keep it out of the way so that you can see 
where you are cutting. To remove the left 
horn, start behind the head, grasp the horn in 
the left hand aud saw quickly off with the saw 
in the right. The saw should be held at the 
proper angle to cut the horn at right angles 
as it leaves the head. Cut into the edge of 
the skin surrounding the base of the horn %- 
X inch, so as to leave a little skin on the horn. 
By examining the cut surface you can tell 
whether you have cut close enough to the 
head. If a rim of new horn remains between 
the skin and bone, the cut was not deep 
enough. The purpose is to remove the ring or 
horn-secreting structure from which the horn 
is developed,and this is only done when the last 
traces of the horny ring have been removed. 
As soon as the horn is removed, apply a thin 
layer of absorbent cotton and press it gently 
over the cut surface. Then untie, and swing 
to the other side to remove the right horn. Iu 
this case the operator (unless he is left-handed) 
will stand iu front of the head, holding and 
cutting as before. The animal will usually 
struggle vigorously and may even go down on 
its hips, but keep on cutting after you begin, 
as no harm will come to the beast in the short 
time required to saw the bone. 
Two men can easily perform the operation. 
I A third, if present, might with advantage, as- 
| sist in holding the head quiet, but this is not 
necessary if the rope has been properly ap¬ 
plied, and the head well drawn up and swung 
around the side. After the head is drawn up 
work as rapidly as possible, but do not slight 
the work m attempting to “beat the record.’ 
The craze seems to be to see how many they 
could dehorn in a given time, aud not how 
well they could perform the opeiation. 
SUBSEQUENT TREATMENT. 
Many operators advise no treatment what¬ 
ever. One prominent writer in speaking of 
the hair at the base of the horn, even goes so 
far as to say, “Do not stop to trim the hair 
with the scissors or knife; it takes too much 
time.” The same writer advises no applicafcon 
to the wound. The first part is certainly 
poor advice. If we are to make dehorning 
a mutilation, then no care or precautions are 
necessary; but if it is to be an operation, it 
should be performed with care, and all reason¬ 
able precautions should be taken to have it 
done in the best manner possible. 
As soon as the horn is removed, apply a thin 
layer of absorbent cotton and gently press it 
on to the wound as directed above. This will 
catch the blood and form a clot which will 
very soon stop the bleeding. While this precau- 
lion may not be necessary, it prevents the un¬ 
sightly appearance of the blood trickling 
down and drying on the sides of the face. In 
cold weather this is all the treatment necessa¬ 
ry. But in warm weather when there is any 
danger from flies, a coating of pine tar should 
first be applied to the cut surface and hair ad¬ 
jacent, and then the absorbent cotton should 
be applied as before. The tar and cotton 
should be reapplied if it becomes removed, 
but a single application is usually sufficient 
unless the animals worry each other. De¬ 
horned animals should not be turned in with 
other cattle for 24 hours after the opera'ion. 
The smell of the blood excites the animals not 
operated upon and causes them to worry those 
that are dehorned. 
SEASON FOR DEHORNING. 
The operation may be performed at any 
time, but mild weather in winter, or cool 
weather m summer, is most favorable. Ex¬ 
tremes of heat and cold should be avoided, 
both being liable to cause serious complica¬ 
tions unless extra precautions are taken to 
prevent them. Sudden changes aud expos¬ 
ure to cold, wind, or rain, are likewise to be- 
avoided. In fact avoid any condition liable 
to give an animal a cold, which would be al¬ 
most sure to settle in the exposed cavities, 
and cause considerable trouble. 
AGE OF THE ANIMAL 
The most favorable aye at which to remove 
the horn is from the calf at three to six weeks. 
The embryo horn or bud which is then form¬ 
ing, and is not yet attached to the skull, may 
be easily removed by cutting out with a sharp 
knife or gouge made for the purpose. With a 
little experi nee the operation can be per¬ 
formed at this time, so as to effectually check 
further dovol pment of the horn, and the pain 
is apparently much less than in the removal 
of the adult horn When removed from calves 
after the horn has become firmly established, 
the operation is not only much more painful 
tapparently even more painful than in the 
adult) but unless very thoroughly performed 
unsightly stubs are likely to result from the 
horn-secreting structure not being entirely 
destroyed. If not removed at the early age, I 
am not prepared to say what age, from one to 
three years would be best, but I would favor 
waiting until their removal became desirable. 
be fed iu an open shed? There is plenty of 
time for the cows to drink even a few at a 
time, and butter cows are not usually fed in 
an open shed. 
Several years hence when these same cows 
have got sound skulls once more, does any 
sane man believe they will “cluster” around 
the water trough 2 Not much; the “boss” cow 
will show up just as well as she did with her 
horns on. Did you ever see the gentle horn¬ 
less sheep when she came to the meal trough 
and found a solid row of mutton obstructing 
her way, how, as quick as a flash, she would 
back off. and selecting a companion that she 
bossed, made an attack in the rear that would 
clear the way in an instant? Doesn’t it seem 
plausible to suppose the hornless cow will 
become just as expert as the sheep? As for 
cows goring one another, that can be prevent¬ 
ed by putting balls on their horns. As for 
goring their owners, well, if a man raises cows 
and is afraid they will gore him, I hope his 
fear is well grounded aud that he will be gored 
—a little: It will be some slight return for 
the ill-treatment he has given them. Let us 
have peace in the barnyard, but not at the 
expense of the butter in the churn. 
One great objection made against horns is 
that cows gore one another and cause abortion. 
What will be the effect of a hornless head 
propelled like a battering-ram against a cow 
heavy iu calf? Pleasant? How many ewes 
lose their lambs by crowding through gate¬ 
ways? And if hornless cows cluster around 
a trough, won’t they “cluster” going through 
a gate, especially when the boy driving them 
is iu a hurry? And the bull? Fora few weeks 
after his horns are taken off he will be led 
around the house with the baby on his back to 
show the neighbors how gentle he his. But 
before the year is out those same neighbors 
will “tote” that baby’s father, feet foremost, 
out the front door. a. l. crosby. 
i'asnn (Cconomt). 
ENSILAGE IN STACKS. 
Stacking silage superseding ensiloing in 
England-,preferable for all fodder crops 
except, perhaps, corn-, its advantages-, 
building the stack-, a u broad"patent claim 
covers the system. 
MUST THE HORNS GO? 
A GOOD many have gone and more will go. 
But have any of them been gone long enough 
to tell for certain what the effect will be on a 
dairy animal? It won’t do to compare the 
artificially hornless cattle with those natural¬ 
ly hornless. Has any one removed the horns 
from a herd of cows devoted to the production 
ot flue butter ? Aud if so, has there been any 
accurate test made as to its effect on the but¬ 
ter yield, in quantity, quality and color? Has 
a butter bull been dehorned long enough to 
show whether it has made any change in his 
prepotency? Or, if he was the sire of heifers 
before dehorning, does he still get heifers, or 
does be now produce bull calves? Do the 
heifers from a dehorned bull show the same 
nervous organization, and when in milk, have 
they as good a butter record? Do the cows 
show a disposition to convert more food into 
fat and less into butter? An answer to these 
questions is iu order before dehorning can bo 
considered a success as regards butter cows. 
For beef I don’t think there is room for much 
speculation, and for milk probably not as 
much as for butter. 
But iu regard to the yield of the best of all 
the cow’s productions—butter—nothing as yet 
is definitely settled as to the effects of dehorn¬ 
ing. Personally I am not much interested, as 
my cows, heifers, calves and the bull have all 
resolved to retain their horns, and as my 
rule is not to interfere with any of their ar¬ 
rangements as long as they don’t work to my 
injury, the indications are they will continue 
to wear the horns. I have read much about 
this subject, and apart from the fact that cows 
cannot gore one another, I have yet to see 
any valid reason why the horns should come 
off. One man says that after he took the 
horns off, “his cows clustered around the water 
trough and drank together peaceably, as many 
as could get their heads in*it at once,” aud “he 
could feed them all iu one open shed without 
any fighting.” I should say so: cows with sore 
head’s don’t fight much. But is there any 
necessity for cows all to drink at once; or to 
I am rather disappointed in perusing the 
Ensilage Number to find so little reference to 
the system of stacking. In the first place let 
me say lhat I am only just over a year out 
from England, where I have very closely 
watched the growth and development of the 
ensilage system from its infancy, and to day 
many who several years since erected silos of 
various styles and sizes are abandoning then- 
use for the stacking system which is equally 
effective, less costly and much more conven¬ 
ient in many respects. Most of the Rural 
readers are doubtless aware that corn is not 
generally grown iu England; indeed it cannot 
be matured, aud has been grown only in very 
rare cases even for fodder during the past 
year or two for experimental purposes. For 
any other crop, however, such as rye, millet, 
clover, vetches, alfalfa, or grass of any kind, 
stacking is more convenient than ensiloing, 
and I am disposed to think that corn also 
could be stacked successfully, notwithstanding 
its coarse, woody stems and the consequent 
greater difficulty of excluding the air. In 
stacking one can cure the fodder wherever 
most convenient, and is not under the neces- 
ity of hauling it to any given location or silo. 
There are no expenses for excavation or build¬ 
ing or materials for silos. There is not a par¬ 
ticle more waste than from a silo, aud the 
temperature is much more easily regulated, 
upon which latter chiefly depends the success 
or failure in making good silage. 
In building the stack the first thing is to 
make the sides and ends firm, and when it is 
about half the intended hlght, Insert a piece 
of iron tube or a wooden chute into which a 
thermometer can be inserted at the center of 
the stack. After a few days, when fermentation 
has commenced and the temperaturo begins 
to rise, watch the thermometer aud as soon as 
it is at the desired pitch, put on pressure, and 
the beat can be regulated to within five de¬ 
grees, and can be kept under absolute control. 
The whole principle of stacking silage under 
any system is covered by a patent, owned by 
Mr. James Hunt, Westbury Park, Bristol. 
Eng., and no stack of silage can be erected in 
the United States without his sanction, with¬ 
out infringing the patent. His is the most 
popular system in Euglaud, aud as I am famil¬ 
iar with all the stackiug appliances in the 
market, I have no hesitation in saying “it 
takes the cake.” When I last heard from him 
he was iu treaty with a large firm in this 
country, to handle the patent aud bring it be¬ 
fore the agricultural public, but I have not 
heard yet of the consummation of any agree - 
