VOL. I.XTTI
INDIANAPOLIS   OCT   3, 1908.
NO. 40
gxnacvicnce gjepartmait
DEHORNING  CATTLE.
Dehorn Before loth Day.
1st Premium.—The correct time to dehorn au animal is when the "button" can
lirst be located by feeling with the fingers, which is soon after the birth of the
ealf. If handled in a skilful manner,
there is no pain connected with the operation at this time. Take a small piece
ni caustic potash, wrap a piece of cloth
about it leaving one end exposed, and,
while holding the calf securely, moisten
the potash and rub it gently over the embryo horn. Repeat the rubbing process
two or three times, until the skin slips
from the tip of the button, and the job is
done. The calf will shake its head a few
times, and yu have a hornless animal
without shedding a drop of blood. But
tliis is not all. You have as shapely a
head as if nature had never provided for
horns. This is worth a good deal to a
hreeder of nice stock, for the way the
clippers and saws are manufactured by
jome the animal is often left with a couple of ugly stubs, or, what really looks
worse, a stub on one side while the other
is smooth.
It is not necessary to present any argument in favor of dehorning. A herd of
cattle without horns can be bunched up
like sheen, and with just as little danger
of injury. I breed registered Jersey cattle and no one ever buys a pair of horns
at my place. When I buy cattle with
these instruments of warfare attached to
their heads,, they are kept away from my
herd until I can have the horns removed.
The pain of removing with saw or clippers is considerable, and so it is to have
an old aching tooth removed, but the
trouble soon ends; while one pair of horns
will keep a herd of twenty-five in trouble
all the time.
I have had cows dehorned when in full
milk flow, and while they may shrink a
little for a few days they more than make
it good after they quit worrying. Fatten-
steers for me never miss a meal on account of dehorning.
Caustic potash is kept at all drug stores
and five cents worth will dehorn twenty
calves. The only thing about it is to be
temperate. Only a very small quality
is needed. And apply it before the tenth
day. O.
It is Cruel not to Dehorn.
'-<1 Premium.—It is necessary that catlle be dehorned wheu very youug if it is
dt ne in the cheapest aud . easiest way.
The best time is when the calves are
from 2 to 4 weeks old, and the treatment used is potassium hydroxide(canstie
potash). The calves, should be caught
and tied securely. Then all the hair
should be trimmed from the place where
the horns are beginning to protrude. Xow
take a stitch of caustic potash, wet it and
ml, it thoroughly over the* points of the
herns. A scab will form in the place of
the horn but in time will ajo awav.
leaving the head smooth and hornless. It
if. 'veil when handling the potash to wrap
'•' with a strip of paper, as if it is rubbed
oi> the hands or comes in contact witb
sores or cuts it will eat into the flesh. The
l>otash should be kept from light and heat
When through using it it is a good idea to
s,al it in a bottle and keep it in the dark.
If the calves' horns have not been thus
treated it is best to hire a veterinary, or
.some one iu the business, to run off the
horns or remove them. with dehorning
clippers. But it is much cheaper to remove them with caustic potash, ten cents'
vorth being sufficient to remove horns
from a half dozen calves, nnd the results
pro better as the head is let perfectly
smooth.
Ii is certainly to the advantage of every
f.irmer fo have his cattle dehorned, as
they are less dangerous to other live stock
on the farm. Horned cattle frequently
injure themselves and have often been
known to gore sheep to death and do other damage. Also the stock owner is saf-
ea- if his cattle are dehorned, as one might
at any time become infuriated and charge
upon any person near. There are few
cattle which have horns in this  locality,
other, until the skin covering ths- hssrn has
entirely disappeared ansl tlis- blood begins
to show. Releass' ths. calf and the job is
done. No further attention is necessary.
Usually five minutes is long enough to
perform the entire operation. Try caustic potash once, according to above directions, and y<>ii will always use it and have
nss more use for clippers or saw.
If yon have old cattle to dehorn, then
we advise you to get an experienced man
t<s do the work—one who will cut them
close enough, and yet not too close to
leave a smooth, neat head.
Cattle should be dehorned when the
weather is mild, spring or late autumn
being the best time. Then the cattle are
not apt to take cold or be troubled by the
A  Morgan County Farm.    Home of ,T. T. Brown,
most of them being dehorned when they
are calves. Dehorned cattle are preferred
ty buyers and shippers.
Doubtless it is cruel to dehorn cattl.-.
Either process is more or less painful.
The calf whose horns have been treated
with potash shakes his head frequently
and loses his frisky spirits for several
days, and of course it must be painful to
hsve tie horns sawed or clipped, altho
the process is a short one. But it is no
more cruel than many other things farmers must do in their profession to be successful. And those who maintain that ds»-
horning cattle comes under the head of
' cruelty to animals," should understand
tbat it is also rruel to give cattle a chance
to gore other animals to death. When
cne considers the cheapness of tbe pro-
ctss and the safety offered by it, no stock
raiser can afford to neglect thU important
subject. F. K.
Dehorn in Mild  Weather.
3rd Premium—It is better to dehorn
cattle when tbey arc calves. To dehorn
calves, procure a stick of caustic, and to
protect thp fingers use an old glove or
wrap one end in several thicknesses of
paper. When the button has grown to be
quite perceptible to the touch, usually at
the age of from seven to ten days, with n
pair of shears clip the hair close from
about the little horn. Moisten the end of
the caustic and apply to the horn, rubbing gently but firmly, first one then the
It is advantageous to dehorn cattle.
Very often you hear of a good horse getting homed by a cow, or of a person getting injured. Besides, more cattle can be
fed at one trough when they are dehorned.
It is not cruel to dehorn cattle. Wheu
not dehorned they are continually horning one another and scraping the hide off
in place of being peaceful and taking on
fat. K.
Xo. 056, Oct. 10.—Give an est in sa'e of
the value of the proper and systematic
dragging and grading of country roads.
No. 657, Oct. 17.—What legislation is
needed that would be of especial interest
ti) farmers?
INDIANA STATE GRANGE.
The Executive Committee of the Indiana State Grange has arranged to hold
the thirty-eighth annual session of State
Grange December 8, 9 and 10, 1908, at
Winona. It seems to us no better place
could have been selected. Good hotels,
large pallors and splendid hall (40 by 70
feet in size), all steam heated. Charges
moderate; rooms and board at hotels (two
in a room) $1.50; private houses and
boarding houses $l.o0 per day. No
charge made for use of hall for all our
meetings.
Winona Assembly Grounds are beautiful, and it is one of the greatest religious
assembly   grounds  in  the  world. The
social,   educational   and   moral   influences
rre exceptionally fiue, making it a most
desirable place for our social, educational
and fraternal Order to hold our annual
meetings to promote the social, fraternal
fnd financial interest of the farmers of
the State.
The Winona Agricultural Institute is
located here—a splendid agricultural
school with ample experimental grounds
and able instructors. Agricultural education under present conditions is not only important, but under the extreme competition with foreign countries is an absolute essential to success. All farmers
o? the State should understand the advantages afforded by this school. It is to
be hoped that every country will be fully
represented by accredited delegates and a
large number of visitors. A few days
spent in counseling witb the farmers of
the State, renewing old and forming new-
acquaintances will be good for all of us.
Winona Lake is on the Pittsburg, Fort
Wayne & Chicago Railroad, and the
Michigan division of the Big Four Railroad.
It is <>n an interurban electric railroad
system giving direct trolly connection
with most all parts of the State. The
depots are on the grounds.
Later a full program will be recom-
iiis'issl...l anil sent out, aud the name of
the degree teams who will exemplify tho
degrees given. This feature will amply
pay earnest members of the order to come
lis'in any part of the State to witness.
The Law governing representation and
method of selecting delegates will be
found in Article three of Constitution
(page 4). The Worthy Secretary of
State Grange before the first Sat. in September will send, out blank credentials to
be made in triplicate, one given to the
delegate, one sent to Secretary and one
sent to the Master of State Grange.
Promptness in tilling out and forwarding
these credentials is very important. This
will enable the Master to appoint the
Committees and the chairmen can to some
degree formulate their reports before the
session.
The program of the Order in Indiana iu
190S is greater than in any year for ten
years past, and it is earnestly hoped each
Grange will be active in building up their
lespective Granges in new members, and
in more efficient work iu making all meetings more beneficial to members. During the fall months is an excellent time
to oranize new granges in all unorganized
territory in the State. The Master of
the State Grange will take pleasure in co-
ipciating with any Grange or any mem-
ber or members in thus building up the
Order. Aaron Jones,
Master Indiana State Grange.
,   m   ,
Tliis city has had an abundant supply
of water during all the dry season, and
the people have used probably twice as
much as common, especially those who
water lawns and flower beds. One day
last week the water company flushed the
■sewers and watered several of the streets,
literally.    The supply seems exhaustless.
4   m   ,
Among the strange effects of the drouth
was the famishing of such birds as quails
from thirst. Some farmers report finding
these birds dead from this cause. One
would sfuppose that they might have kept
on the wing till they found water some-
\\ here.
A farmer living near Decatur, this
State, was terribly mangled by a huge
boar in the feedine lot Sept. 21; it is fear
e-l he will die.