The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1894-01-20
HINTS TO FARMERS.
About Dehoru,nc Cattle.

HINTS TO FARMERS.
About De!lorulnc Cattle.
Disl"rn.ng cattle has became a custom which
ls very coinllon in nearly all parts Of the country
and although there are same people who make .
great cry OF cruelty the practice Is rapidly spread
Ing, ana u few years hence horns will be as rare
as their absence has been In the past.
Not long ago we had our herd Of thirty-two
COWS and hclicrs dishorncd. n II may be Of In
tcrest to your readers to know the result of such
Il proceeding upon cows In milk. The instrument
used was one that works with a knife moved by
Il lever, and which takes a horn off In less than
a second after the animal Is secured for opera
ton. The cows were put In q stanchfon, one ut
atime. In front Of them a common ay. fork
hook had been ScrcWc d to the floor. and with q
rope and one OF the nos G rings which pinch the
nose but do not cut 1t, the heads we're drawn
down by the attendant and neld while the opera
or took OIL the horns. The whole thing took
less time for each COW than 1t does to tell 1t. The
rope was loosencd and the animal released
The blood flowed, OF course; and for 4 few days
they presented a sorry appearance rs to their
heads, hut they never lost u meal, nor did they
shrink a pound in their milk by the operation.
AS Is usual with u herd of COWS, the timid
ones were always worried by the boss cows, and
there was more or less hooking, resulting once
or twice in the premature birth of a calf and
other m.shaps Of q less serious nature. Now all
that is changed. q lietly AMI orderly they go to
and from pasture. There |, no hooking In pass
Ing through gates, and II IL COW gets loose in the
| night She does the rest NJ damage.
| OF course we hated to sec the horns 60, so lie
OF them were so pretty; but THEY will look just
as pretty and be put to better use Wien polished
AMI mounted for 4 hall rack. We have come to
the conclusion that COWS have no use for horns
anyway. 1t would be better to prevent the
hornsfrom growing at I'LL. perhaps, and this can
Ike successfully done by rubbing the tiny horn
buttons Of the young calves with a piece OF caus-
tic potash Slightly moistcncu, care bein, taken
to touch nothing but the part to be destroyed
II properly done, the horns will not grow.
There Is, ] notice, some talk Of breeding the
horns off, but when we consider that countless
generations OF sheep have had their tails cut off,
aad that no lamb has ever been known to be born
t%ailless, 1t does not seem probable that 1t will be
Il success. Perhaps some will say, why not keep
cattle that are naturally hornless? But dairy
men who know the possibilities Of the Jerseys
or Guernscys will be slow to give them up, or to
mix the breed with the mulcys. To them 1
would say, take off the horns ana I am sure you
Will lIOt ASSICt
About Roads.
The belief 10 expressed by the nation
al department of agriculture that its road
lnq ulry bureau has lone efficient work in
collecting and disseminating information
or the subject of improved roads. 1t is
even said that the good roads movement
| has received al impetus that ID likely to
assme satisfactory proportions hereafter.
1t is encouraging to know that the mat
ter of good roads and road improvement
is receiving careful attention from the
general government. the effect of such
attention is likely to he satisfactorg so
far as education is concerned. But, after
all, the general profit and loss to the
farmer as he rides and drives over
poor mud roads he is head to heap vlo-
lent abuse upon their terrible condition;
but he never weighs in his mind their ef-
feet upon the success of his business
Government can do little or nothing in
the way of actual Improvement. The ed
ucation that 1t is giving the farmers, will
IN time make itself felt through the state
governments. For it is the State govern
ments that we must look for legislation
and directing movements that will result
in good roads.
But, aftcr all, it is the farmer himself
who must be the prepayment Of improved
roads. To a great extent he is one who
las to pay for them, and likewise he is
the one h is most benefited by their
creation. Therefore, unless he desires to
help himself to good roads and is willing
to pay his share for them, 1t is hardly
probable that there are those who, as pub
nc officials or as citizens, will endeavor to
force good roads upon him against his
wish.
The farmers should study this import
ant matter with care. They are likely tc
find that The meteriul benefits to then
will very far outweigh the COSTS of goo,
roads.
To recapitulate bad roads lead to Pre-.
tunity; they make men swear. Bad rohu.
;essarY to tortify the liner man with 4
Journey through the mud. Bad roadr
often has to stimulate a willing team with
wear and tear on wagons, harness u n u
lmals knock off a large per cent of proht.
MEARs' LATEST
The following tract was Sc mt by A. 8
Drake, attorney for E. A. Mears, to a cler-
symsn at St. Clairville, Pa, in a letter
asking the gentleman to whom it was di-
rected, to extend the time for the pay
ment of certificates of deposits held by
| hin in the defunct Mears' institutions and