St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-09
USE OF HORNS.
The Views of Mr.. Bennett Re
poyIed in the Western RrpaI

ported in the Western Rural.
Mr.. Bennett continues: Let us give
attention to the claims of Mr.. Hoarc
that dehorning COWS diminishes the
yield Of milk and particularly of the
butter fats, also that dehorning a bull
will destroy his butter potency" owing
to the close connection between the
horns and the reproductive system.
True, differentiation draws upon the
vital forces for the simultaneous
growth of the horns and the reproduce
i've system, yet the removal Of one does
not arrest the development Of The other.
but. so far as appears, increases it. The
steer certainly has greater horn develop
ment than the bull, and conversely. the
dehorned bull should have increased
potency. If the "close connection
theory proves anything it proves too
much for those who depend upon it as
an argument against dehOrniDg, and
helps the other side, if either
Neither can l find anything in sup
port of the dogmatism that horns are
necessary to feed the liver, brains,
heart. spine and kidneys. The later re-
searches of some psychologists do in
deed seem to Indicate that 1.-The marrow
of the bones, like the closed glands,
has, especially in the fetal state, an
important part in the preparation of
nutriment for the organism generally"
Charles w. Greene.) But horns do not
exist in the fetal state, nor in early
calfhood. 1t therefore follows that
they are not necessary in the
early stages Of life, as every
calf can prove, and dehorned
cattle grow and thrive without giving
the least sign that they are suffering
from the lack of supplementary stom-
achs located in the horns. The Wis
consin Experimental station denorned
twelve cows in March and April, 1883,
TO ascertain the effect OF the operation
upon the production of milk and butter
There was a shrinkage in six days of
f1fty-fve and one-half pounds of milk,
after allowing for the natural shrink
age. There was also an increase of 24
pounds Of butter in the same time, and
the official report SAYS: I'VE cannot
draw any conclusions"
My own experience may not be amiss.
On the last day of September. 1887.
had fourteen mich cows dehorDed. and
the yield OF both milk and butter in
creased fully per cent within two
weeks. This does not prove that de-
hOrning did it. October was a better
month for COWS than September, and
the cows might have done equally well
if their horns had remained, but dehOrn-
ing did not prevent the increase of
yield, and TO this day my COWS have done
better than ever before. As those who
sell milk would be sure to notice the
change. the milk being measured or
weighed every day, ] submitted this
question To Mr.. Cadwallader, of James
vile. who sells his milk. He replied:
Since receiving your letter have made
number OF inquiries, both of those
who sell milk and those who sell but
ter, and ! find they are universally in
favor of deherning. You might as
well try to make people be-
lieye it would injure- your health
To trim your toe nails, as it would affect
line milking qualities of a COW to de-
horn her. In the wild state horns were
undoubtedly necessary for Self-defense,
but in the domestic condition they
should be removed as an act of human
ity, if for nothing else. 1 think those
who oppose the practice either know
NOTHING about it or are SO Internally
stubborn that they stick 10 the first DO
SItlon they took. just because they do
not like to acknowledge that they were
mistaken
In my own locality nearly all the cattle
have been dehorned. and If it has been
harmful IN any way no one has found it
ont. Walter Booth. of Chickasaw county,
is the only 0airyman i have met any
where who has tried dehorning and is
unfaVorably impressed. have not linn
tied my investigation TO my own county
nor 10 Iowa. have lust returned from
a visit to dairy localities in Illinois
where milk is produced for shipment tn
Chicago, and / did not find a man who
had found that dehorning decreased the
yield, while every one who had tried il
said ii was decided advantage.