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Show I f DAIRYING H; I DEHORNING. B Dr. A. S. Condon Gives His Views . sB 1 To the Editor: Some one has sent H to mc a copy of THE DESERET M FARMER and for all of which I here m express due thanks. Hastily running m through the many interesting article M I, chanced on one entitled "horns a B detriment in the feed lot" and I ven- IH' turc a few words of observation m m thereon. The mam point sought to M be established half way down the sH X col 11 mn is set forth as follows, namc- j ly; "Indeed, from our obscrvatioi r of the operation of the behaviour ot fl animals while undergoing it '(dehorn m ing) we arc of the opinion that the M pain attending it is very much ex- m I aggcratcd in the popular mind." In M j deed, it is not exaggerated, nor is it m , possible for any combination ot K! wrds to exaggerate it. From an .in. j diistrial standpoint it may be defend 1 if ' cd. perhaps, but never from the as- m p.cct of trivial pain. I do not care 1 who the writer an The Wisconsin ssTl H ' Farmer is, I dare 'state 'without fear B of being questioned by competent B authority that the operation of dc- m horning a well developed and mature H bullock is productive of agony un- H .spcakablc,, and that animals suffer pr less by castcration, terrible as that Hj suffering is. . .' H, fel ,nm not writiifg this in opposition H to dehorning cattle, but the operator H should not be taught a false thcoty H; and seek to defend himself by the Hi v H words of a false teacher; he should H realize exactly the effect of liis acts H oh dumb onimals and continue to de- H horn them intelligently, if he thinks the interests of the herd require it. if The inner structure of the horn is afdense ganglion of nerve tissue rich-H rich-H ly, supplied with blood channels and H all surrounded by a horny (keratin) feamc to I)rotcct thorn. So great is H the pain during the process of de-Hi de-Hi horning that I have seen nuimnls fall H to their knees in a faint and the bcl- H y H lowing die away for a moment to a H lv moan. H H iOi course all that Aickaniog Uel- H living, and the frantic plunging; to H Ufcak away, is a manifestation of H pleasure and a freak of the mimal H to amuse the spectators and add to H the hilarity of the occasion, or else 1 who docs the creature plunge anM bellow? v ( It is impossible for a human being,.! be-ing,.! care not how emotionless and strong of nerve fiber he may be, to look on the scene of dehorning and say that it will be posstiblc for him to cvcr forget it. No man ever gets used to doing the operation and he always approaches the day therefor with dread. Many a mam has told mc this. Even butchers whose whole . lives arc spent in the shambles of blood and violence shrinks from the work of.dchorning cattle. I know, of miy own knowledge, two men, one is Weber and the other in Morgan county, who have been overcome over-come by manifestations of agony in the brute becing dehorned, and have fallen dead. I knew both men well and they were no mollycodles as t good many who will read this will certify, for .they will readily remember remem-ber who I mean. How many more have fallen dead from heart shock on these occasions of whom I never heard, ofof course I cannot testify to, but there must be a large number; num-ber; it would be singular -if such tragedy were confined solely to tliis little valley. Let the rancher gp right 'along aiu.1 continue to dehorn his, cattle, and let "the Dcscrct Farmer, arfd the Wisconsin Wiscon-sin Farmer continue to teach the wisdom) wis-dom) and utility of doing it, but kt no one attempt to teach the doctrine that the dehorning of animals is a painless operation to the animals." |