POLLED HOLSTEIN CATTLE. 
Getting Rid of Horns. 
On page 803, we gave a brief description of the 
hornless Holstein cattle which have been developed 
by Mr. George. E. Stevenson of Pennsylvania. We 
are now able to present two pictures 
showing typical heads from these cat¬ 
tle. One of these animals was sired 
by a polled bull from a horned cow, 
while the other is out of a polled 
cow from a horned bull. We gave 
a brief statement of Mr. Steven¬ 
son’s theory regarding the origin of 
this polled character. He tells us 
that Prof. W. J. Spillman, of the De¬ 
partment of Agriculture, read a paper 
last Winter before the Polled Jersey 
Cattle Company, and Mr. Stevenson 
gives the following synopsis of this 
address by Mr. Spillman: 
“He at present is of the opinion that 
the polled trait in our various breeds 
of domestic cattle is probably due to 
the fact that in their origin from the 
wild breeds of cattle, three types were 
intermingled. First, the solid-horned 
type with the bony honeycomb interior 
structure,' carrying an arterial circula¬ 
tion, that were rigidly attached to the 
skull. Second, the loose or dwarf- 
liorned type, the horn consisting sim¬ 
ply of the shells attached loosely to the 
skin so that they could be moved with 
the finger and not fast to the skull. 
Third, the pure polled type.” 
Mr. Stevenson also thinks that a 
careful tabulation of the results in his 
herd will result in the discovery of 
some principle not now understood, 
which will enable breeders to forecast 
the qualities and characters which 
will result from any mating. lie has 
had experience of 30 years with a herd 
of grade Ilolsteins, and he now be¬ 
lieves that a concerted effort on the 
part of Holstein breeders would result 
in establishing the hornless trait uni¬ 
versally in the breed. He also thinks 
this can be done without sacrificing the 
dairy qualities in any way, as his own 
cattle without horns are of high 
dairy quality, and from good families 
ol' the breed. As was stated on page 
s b3, Mr. Stevenson started his herd by 
securing every naturally polled Hol¬ 
stein that he could learn about. They 
were all good individuals of good pedi¬ 
gree and satisfactory performance. 
This is an interesting thing to all Hol¬ 
stein breeders, for without question 
most dairymen realize that the horn 
>s of little if any practical use to a 
dairy cow, and if it could be bred 
oway, without lessening the actual 
dairy value of the individual, there 
would be a distinct gain for the breed. 
The following extract is taken from 
fim paper which was read bv Prof. 
bred, we get the surprising and interesting result 
that one-fourth of the calves are pure polls, one- 
half cross-bred, and one-fourth pure horned. Herein 
lies the hope of the breeder who is trying to get rid 
of the horns on a horned breed. He can. by using a 
male of a polled breed, get any number of cross- 
KEYSTONE PLUM JOHANNA 139786. Fig. 336. 
In this Case Dam was Polled and Sire Horned. 
HOLST 
Spillman, before the Polled Jersey Cattle Company. 
Where one parent is cross-bred and the other 
puie polled, half the calves are pure polls and half 
cross-breds. Where one parent is cross-bred and 
,,n e pure horned, half the calves are cross-bred and 
hah pure horned. But where both parents are cross- 
EIN COW DAISY JUNE 2d, 126222. Fig. 337. 
In this Case Sire was Polled and Darn Horned. 
breds. Then by mating these cross-breds, one-fourth 
ot the progeny will be as pure polls as if they never 
had a horned ancestor. When once a pure polled 
animal is secured, he will never get a horned calf, 
no matter what cows he is bred to. P>ut a cross¬ 
bred is of great value. By mating him with horned 
cows, half the progeny will be cross-breds. These 
cross-breds can then be used in producing pure polls. 
"It is therefore possible for the breeders of polled 
Jerseys to introduce into their herds the best blood 
of the Jersey breed. If the blood thus introduced 
carries the horn character, the polled calves result¬ 
ing will be cross-breds, but from them 
can be obtained pure polls carrying the 
best blood of the breed. 
‘*A very important practical point 
to the breeder of a new polled breed is 
how to tell a pure poll from a cross¬ 
bred poll. This is fairly easy in the 
case of males, but less so in the case of 
feemales. In the first place, if the ani¬ 
mal has scurs, even minute ones, it 
is cross-bred. If it has no sign of scurs 
it is probably pure polled, but this 
point has not received sufficient inves¬ 
tigation to render it certain whether 
cross-breds always have scurs. I think 
it is probable that they do. If so, then 
we have an infallible means of decid¬ 
ing whether a polled animal is pure or 
cross-bred with reference to the poll 
character. 
"In the absence of definite knowl¬ 
edge on this point there is still a way 
to settle the question whether a given 
animal is pure polled or cross-bred 
especially in the case of the 
It should be remembered that 
poll never gets a horned calf, 
his calves may have scurs if 
the cows had either scurs or horns. 
On the other hand, if the male is a 
cross-bred poll, whether he has scurs 
or not. half his sperm will carry the 
horn character. Hence, if he be mated 
to horned cows, about half his calves 
will be fully horned. On the average 
of a large number of cases it will be 
almost exactly half. It depends on 
whether the eggs of the horned cows 
are fertilized by one or the other kind 
of sperm, which the male produces in 
equal numbers. 
"A practical rule, therefore, for de¬ 
termining whether a young polled bull 
is a pure or a cross-bred poll is to mate 
him, say, to -a dozen horned cows. 
Even if the breeder does not. have the 
horned cows, his neighbors will usually 
have them and will gladly lend them 
to this experiment. If a dozen calves 
thus produced are all polled, or have 
only scurs. then the chances are over 
4,000 to one that the male is pure 
polled, and this will make it safe to 
guarantee that he will never get a calf 
having anything more than scurs. 
Such a tested bull, to a breeder of a 
new polled breed, should be valuable.” 
polled, 
males, 
a pure 
though 
THE COST OF MILK 
It is doubtful if there is any othei 
form of farm produce which tin 
average consumer is so reluctant 
to pay for at a decent living 
price. He soys: “I am your only market, your goods 
are perishable, therefore sell to me at my price oi 
they will spoil on your hands.” This is practically 
the dictum to which all milk producers are subject 
They may fret, fume and declare, but the bonds 
with which they are tied are drawn so grievously 
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