Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-12-24
Docking Cattle.


Docking horses is had enough, hut dock
ing cattle /, worse. The appearance Of n
horse Is sometimes improved, perhaps, by
"sctting up" hi' tail and shortening !, ;
the operation also prevents him from getting
his tail over the drivers lines. Bu, these
arguments have no psrtincnsc in the case Of
neat cattle. We believe, moreover. that the
practice is injurious TO the health and COM
fort Of these animals.
Tho advocates Of docking maintain that
cattle need blood.lc,,ing every Spring. They
.av that the end Of the tail becomes soft,
and in connection with this, the join,' OF
the legs swell and become weak and ,rcmu-
lou.. and that the only remedy is a cutting
on the tail Why DO not these doctors In
quirc whether this Spring sickness Is not
more likely, owing to the season, TO the
change from the dry fodder Of the barn %
the succulcn, food Of the pasture, and the
change from the warm stable and barn-yar,l
10 the chilly ground Of the olen pasture
Cut OF a cows tail e. cure the Spring sick.
ne.s, Why no, ns well ca, OF a mans le;
TO cure lis chilhlAins? The hcpracticc Is non-
ssnsical and barharous. It's cruel, not on.
" hcclu,, il &. painful, and occasions los'
OF blood, hat because I, rhhs the animal oi
hi, chiei weapon of defence, Nsain', annoy
in. insects In Summer. We half su'pec,
that one reason why hired mea" are -
fond Of i,ciorius cows in this way, Is that
this treatment save. them from many a
brush Of tho tail during milking time.
\ writer in ono Of our foreign exchanges
.pak. II thi. docking mania as prevalent
in England, and IS miS,i up with more "a.
rrr.,i,ian than here. llc 'ay. that many
farmer. believe ,ha, the Spring sickness OF
cit,lc br-in' ia the tail, and passes along
tia, 20 ,hc cows back, AMI " that it i on
accauu, u something wrong In the tail tha,
,he use, the ~, Of her legs, and then some
80, &, work and cut the cows tail % while
Others les cruel and more scientific, make
an inei.ion into tho under surface, and allow
the wound to blccl ircely and then dil IL
up with a mixture Of tar and salt, and |
know no, what" lIe then goes on 10 'ay
,ha, in .lmc districts, farmer. think there
is wi,chcralI in the business, and practice
charms. a" as we'll as docking. They bind
tuis Of the rowan tre, ON the end OF the
cows tail, aud compel black cat 10 pass
three times around the COW, AMI over hcr
hack and under her belly, which :, enrhec'
pussy that she news AMI scratches with
great fury until she break, away from the
nccromaucsr., aud runs or With dying tail,
convincing all bcholder' tlat surely the
devil has -, into the ct,
Tho writer next prococl, 10 give care
ful analyst. or ,hc different parts Of the ta'l
" cattl, md shows ,ba, what .. considered
by som, a t,s,As.l condition oi this mrm'
btr, d, only wise provision OF nature 10
prepare IL, tail Tor brushing OF llcs during
,Ha Summer. The tail i'a scientific whip.
"Tuc column Of bones within It forms The
shaft or handle Of the whip-;hc s1lt part.
the connection between TIE handle and the
thong. while tho ,hickenei extremity may
- rcc,.ni,,i to represent the thong, and
the hair. - form the lash or Poin, - that
We hay, a whip :, drive away the a,.s, aud
>, complete a one Iha, tho c1achmlu may
borrow a lesson from ~ construction
From considerations Ike these, it I' plain
that thc practise Of docking cattle Is a cru'
el one, and no; worthy u adoption hy sen.
siblo men. Tho tail may, indeed, become
diseased, ia connection with other parts oi
the body. but u i, not the orisia Of the dis
u.c. and amputation Of i, Is not rational
,ratmcu; Of the difficulty. There are rem.
cii., simpler AMI better.
american Asriculturisi.