4i4 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
June 19 
NOTES FROM HOPE FARM. 
Our 10 “Black Business Birds” laid 1G3 
eggs in May, which makes a total of 459 
for March, April and May. Only two of 
them have shown any inclination to sit, 
and these were quickly “ broken up” by 
putting them in a hen jail and keeping 
food away from them for 24 hours. We 
have just begun to feed meat in the 
form of “ Animal Meal”. Three table¬ 
spoonfuls of this meal are daily mixed 
in the mash for 10 hens. The first effect 
was a slight loosening of the bowels, 
which passed away in three days. The 
hens seem brighter and more active as a 
result of feeding the meat, and have 
already begun to lay more eggs. We 
have decided to buy a green-bone cutter 
and shall test the cut bone against the 
dried meat. The usual practice is to 
feed an all-corn ration to sitting hens. 
Our experience is that a fair allowance 
of meat benefits such hens. They seem 
brighter, less feverish and better na- 
tured. 
The oldest chicks are now large 
enough to enable us to pick out the 
pullets. We shall separate the sexes as 
fast as possible, and feed the roosters on 
cracked corn and green cut bone. The 
pullets will be fed largely on dry bran 
and cut bone in order to make as much 
growth as possible. Late in June, we 
hope to buy several hundred southern- 
bred pullets. Our plan is to clip their 
wings and let them run in the orchard 
with a ration of corn, wheat bran and 
cut bone. These early-hatched southern 
birds ought to be forced into good win¬ 
ter layers. 
The boys were quite taken with Mr. 
Waldin’s cheap house—pictured on page 
321. The grocer sold us a load of empty 
boxes for 25 cents. With the nails and 
boards in these boxes, we have made a 
low house large enough to hold 75 of our 
oldest chicks. With two such loads we 
can piece out a house large enough for 
40 full-grown birds. We, are constantly 
on the lookout for boxes and other old 
lumber. 
Two barrels of June Eating potatoes 
were planted on April 17, between rows 
of Parker Earle strawberries. The first 
potato blooms were found June 4, or 44 
days from planting. These potatoes 
have been remarkably free from bugs, 
though we have used no Paris-green at 
ail. The little chickens run among the 
potatoes all day, and the boys declared 
that they saw the chickens eat the bugs. 
As this was an unheard-of performance, 
we picked a number of the bugs and put 
them into the brooder. Not a bird would 
touch them after the first pick. 1 am 
sure, however, that these chickens have 
eaten the eggs of the potato beetle on 
the under sides of the leaves, and that 
they have kept down the number of 
bugs in this way. 
We have had more or less discussion 
as to the proper size of the “ air space H 
in the incubator eggs, with every at¬ 
tempted hatch. When starting the last 
run,” we set a good hen on the same 
day that we started the incubator. The 
eggs were all out of the same pens. The 
eggs under the hen have been tested at 
intervals, and an effort has been made 
so to regulate the incubator that the air 
spaces will be uniform in size. As a 
result, we have a larger proportion of 
fertile eggs than ever before, yet, do 
what we will, the proportion of good 
eggs under the hens is greater than in 
the machine. 
While, with us, the hen is beating the 
incubator out of sight, our brooders 
badly distance the hens as nurses. The 
brooders are all homemade. They ara 
the common square box with a bottom 
of tin, with a large funnel beneath it in 
which the lamp is placed. There is a 
layer of sand and coal ashes on this tin. 
The chicks scatter about the brooder 
and stretch out flat on the sand, instead 
of hovering together as they often do 
when the heat comes from above. We 
have lost only two chicks out of about 
200 put in the brooders thus far. The 
brooders stand out in the open, with no 
protection during these cold and stormy 
nights but fertilizer sacks and old quilts. 
We made the mistake, at first, of keep¬ 
ing the temperature too high. We now 
put the lamp at one side so that part of 
the brooder is heated to 90 degrees, while 
other parts are at 75 degrees. The chicks 
accommodate themselves to the differ¬ 
ence in temperature. 
Oats and hay retail in our local market 
at the same price—one cent a pound. 
There was not a square foot of good sod 
on Hope Farm in April, and we have 
been obliged to buy all hay and grain. 
Now we have stopped the hay buying— 
substituting pasture and early-cut grass. 
In three weeks, we shall begin to cut 
and cure the green oats for horse hay. 
A pen of 30 hens are expected to supply 
eggs enough to pay for the oats needed 
by the farm team. Last week, they did 
it with a little to spare. The eggs are 
mostly exchanged for the oats at the 
store. h. w. c 
Live Stock Matters 
DISHORNING THE DAIRY BULL. 
DOES IT INJURE UI8 ‘•PREPOTENCY”? 
In a recent issue of Hoard’s Dairyman, we find 
the following: “It follows, then, that so serious 
a mutilation as dishorning, so near the brain, 
the great seat of the nerve power and force, can¬ 
not but result in lessening that finer prepotency 
which constitutes the greater value of any desir¬ 
able bull.” The idea advanced is that dishorn¬ 
ing is injurious to the bull, by destroying his 
“ prepotency”, or ability to transmit desirable 
qualities from his ancestors to his oilspring. It 
seems to us that the practice of dishorning has 
now gone on long enough to enable us to obtain 
true facts bearing on this matter. Will you be 
kind enough to tell us what you have observed in 
this connection? Is dishorning a detriment to 
the dairy bull ? 
I agree entirely vith tie article to 
which you refer in Hoard’s Dairyman. 1 
have not dishorned any of my cattle, 
and do not intend to as long as I want to 
breed fine cattle. As for the bull, I 
would not buy a bull which was dis¬ 
horned. We handle our bull as carefully 
as a stallion, for he is the head and 
foundation for the future of the herd. 
Wisconsin. peter hammen. 
I cannot say from personal observa 
tion. As I have never taken a liking to 
the practice, I have done very little of 
it I have dishorned two bulls, by saw¬ 
ing off the horns when the bulls were 
about four years old, and in each case, 
the bull had little use afterwards. As a 
matter of opinion, I cannot help think¬ 
ing it is a detriment. I believe that any 
mutilation of the parts produces suffi¬ 
cient shock to the system to impair its 
full vigor and usefulness. 
Iowa. GEO. H. EASTMAN. 
All cases I can now call to mind of 
dishorned bulls and cows are opposed 
to the theory that the prepotency to 
transmit desirable qualities is lacking in 
such animals. If dishorning bulls affected 
them in that way, reasoning from a 
physiological point of view, it would 
have the same effect upon cows. I can 
recall, at present, one herd of Short¬ 
horns in this State, in which the animals 
have been dishorned for, at least, three 
generations, yet they are conceded to 
be the finest animals bred in this State. 
I can also recall to mind Jersey bulls 
that have been dishorned, and whose 
progeny, after dishorning, is the equal 
of the progeny previous to dishorning. 
Vet. N. D. Exp. Sta. t. d. hinebauch. 
There are, as far as I know, no facts 
to warrant the assumption that dishorn¬ 
ing lessens the prepotency of a bull. 
Neither can I see any physiological rea¬ 
son why dishorning should affect the 
prepotency of the animal. The fact 
that the writer of the article refers to 
dishorning as a “ mutilation” plainly in¬ 
dicates that he is opposed to dishorning, 
and is, probably, looking for some plaus¬ 
ible theory or objection upon which to 
condemn the practice. The objections 
to dishorning have almost invariably 
been raised by persons who have never 
had an animal dishorned and, in many 
instances, have never witnessed the 
operation. Dishorning is growing in 
favor every year in this State, and I 
have yet to meet a stockman who has 
had his herd dishorned, who would have 
the horns replaced if he could. 
New York. dr. f. l. kilborne. 
I have dishorned only two bulls, one 
because he was ugly, and the other to 
keep him company. I believe in exer¬ 
cise, proper feed, and care, and am in¬ 
clined to think that I shall let the horns 
alone. I have do good foundation to 
start from in saying that I believe horns 
are a necessary part of the bull, still I 
would rather have them on than off, for 
my stock bull. I apprehend that no one 
has, as yet, any practical experiment 
to prove which is the better for the dairy 
bull, horns or no horns. I should, for 
my part, want it proved by the perform¬ 
ance of the heifer ; she will tell the tale 
better than any one else when she comes 
to fill the pail and find the percentage of 
butter fat. w. s. carpenter. 
Michigan. 
(Continued nv treat page' 
■fUVYfcsnifAV 
NOTHING BUTGRAINl 
7TT 
INSURES 
MORE and 
BETTER 
MILK 
AND 
SUPERIOR BUTTER 
“Vour money's Ulortb or Vour | 
money BacR” 
Address 
THE H=0 COMPANY 
71 and 73 Park Place, New Yom < 
CREAM SEPARATORS. 
De Laval “ Alpha ” and • Baby” Separators 
First—Best—Cheapest. All Styles—Sizes 
Save $10 per cow per year. Send for Catalogue. 
Prices, $50 to $800. 
THE DE LAVAL SEPARATOR CO., 
Randolph and Canal Sts., I 74 Cortlandt Street. 
CHICAGO. | NEW YORK. 
Profits of a Separator. 
Did you ever figure up the profit of 
running a Safety 
Hand Separator? The 
machine costs as 
much as two good 
cows. If you are 
milking 16 cows, it 
brings you as much 
butter as if you 
milked 20 cows. It 
gives you sweet skim- 
milk worth 15 cents a 
100 pounds, and it is a labor-saver. 
P. M. SHARPLES, 
West Chester, Pa. 
Elgin, Ill. 
Rutland, Vt. 
THE PERFECTION 
MILK COOLER 
AND AERATOR. Latest 
and Best. Why? Because 
it is low down. It has 
the greatest cooling sur¬ 
face. It is cheap ! Cost¬ 
ing no more than in¬ 
ferior coolers. Circulars 
and prices. 
L. It. LEWIS, 
50 Main St.. Cortland.N Y 
OUR RURAL BOOKS. 
Any Book on this List will be forwarded 
promptly on receipt of price. 
A Fortune in two Acres. 
Fred Grundy. This is a story of how a work¬ 
man in a small market town gained inde¬ 
pendence and a fortune on two acres. 
Paper.20 
Chemicals and Clover. 
H. W. Colliugwood. A concise and practical 
discussion of the all-important topic of com 
mercial fertilizers, in connection with green 
manuring, in bringing up worn-out soils, and 
in general farm practice. Paper.20 
Country Roads 
I. P. Roberts and others. Expert opinions 
upon layiDg out, constructing and maintain 
ing public highways. Highway laws. Illus 
trated. Paper.20 
Fruit Packages 
A description of the current styles of baskets, 
boxes, crates and barrels used in marketing 
fruits in all parts of the country. How to 
grade and pack fruit. Illustrated. Paper..20 
Horses, Cattle, Sheep and Swine. 
Geo. W. Curtis, M. S. A. Origin, History, 
Improvement, Description, Characteristics, 
Merits, Objections, Adaptability South, etc., 
of each of the Different Breeds, with Hints on 
Selection, Care and Management. Methods of 
practical breeders of the United States and 
Canada. Superbly illustrated. About 100 full 
page cuts. Cloth, 82. 
How to Rid Buildings and Farms of 
Rats, Mice, Gophers, Prairie Dogs, Ground 
Squirrels, Rabbits, Moles, Weasels, Slinks and 
other Pests, Quickly and Safely. How to Snare 
Hawks and Owls. Valuable Hints to House¬ 
keepers, Farmers and Poultrykeepers.20 
How to Plant a Place. 
Elias A. Long. A brief treatise, illustrated 
with more than 60 original engravings, and 
desigued to cover the.various matters per¬ 
taining to planting a plaee. Paper .20 
Improving the Farm. 
Lucius D. Davis. Methods of Culture that 
shall Afford a Profit, and at the same time In¬ 
crease the Fertility of the Soil. The contents 
treats exhaustively on renewing run-down 
farms. Cloth.|| 
Milk : Making and Marketing. 
E. G. Fowler. Selling Fat and Water. An 
illustrated account of the methods, herds 
and appliances of several remarkably suc¬ 
cessful milk-producing farms.20 
My Handkerchief Garden. 
Charles Barnard. An explicit account of Mr. 
Barnard’s actual operations on a suburban 
village house-lot. Interesting and valuable 
to all suburban dwellers, professional men 
and mechanics.20 
Popular Errors About Plants. 
A. A. Crozler. A collection of errors and 
superstitions entertained by farmers, garden¬ 
ers and others, together with brief scientific 
refutations. Valuable to practical cultiva¬ 
tors who want to know the truth about their 
work. Cloth.$1 
The New Botany. 
J. W. Beal, M. Sc., Ph. D. A Lecture on the 
Best Method of Teaching the Science. Valu¬ 
able to Students and Amateurs, being a 
useful guide in studying “The Beautiful 
Science.”.25 
The Rural Nkw-Yobkkb. New York. 
SI DO YOU SHAYE? $1 
If so, you want a good razor—one that 
you can’t make cut you. There is only 
one such. It is the Safety. The price 
is $2. You can’t buy it any place for 
less, because it is worth it. For just one 
month—June—no longer, no shorter, we 
will let you have one for less than they 
cost us by the dozen. Any time during 
the month of June, you may send us one 
new subscription and $2, with 10 cents 
extra for postage, and we will send you 
the razor by return mail, and the paper 
for a year to the new subscriber. Of 
course, you will get $1 for the new sub¬ 
scription, so the razor will cost you only 
SI besides the postage. This will hold 
good only for the month of June. We 
positively will not repeat this offer after 
June. If not satisfied, we will return 
the money. Now is the time to act if 
you want comfort for the rest of your 
life in shaving. 
' The Rural New-Yorker, New York. 
