Farm And Garden

A cage to be nsed ín dehorning cattle and which can be easily transported by wagon and set down at any convenient place at the opening of a shed or end of a laue is illustrated and described in The National Stockman and Farmer : Diruensions. - Six feet long, 6 feet high, %% f eet wide at top in front and 4 y2 feet wide at top at back end ; bottom or footboard 1 foot wide, with 7 cleats 1}4 inches thick, 1 foot long, nailed across it to keep cattle from slipping; footboard 2 inches thick and rests on three 2 by 4 inch crosspieces 4 feet long. To these are bolted upright pieces 7 feet long and 2 by 4 iuches for nailers for sides of cage. Across the top of cage are sed two strips 1 by 4 inches for each set of uprights, bolted one on each side of npright. The inside of this frame is boarded up with inch plank of conveuieut widths. The lower 2l feet should be close enough to prevent animáis putting their feet through the cracks. On left side, %% feet from bottom, should be nsed a board a foot wide and a foot longer than the cage. In thii bore two inch holes four inches from sides of board. Through these put a piece of rope and tie ou ontside. Thia loop is pnt over the animal's nose and drawn tight by the use of a handspike. An upright lever is used to catch back of the head and draw it to the left side of cage. Tbis upright should be a strong 2 by 4 inch, 9 feet long, bolted to bottom cross piece near the right side, the upper end slipping back and forth between the crosspieces that hold the topa of the two front uprights in place. This lever is thrown to the right when open for the animal to enter. As soon as the head passes it is pushed to the left side and fasteued as tight as required by a small irou pin slipped through the crosspieces at top back of it. As soon as the bead is fastened a handspike is slipped through the cage back of the animal and another over the neck to hold the head down. These remain in place usually without holding, the operator standing in front while taking off the horns. The smallest animáis having horns up to a buil weighiug 1,830 pounds have been dehorned in this sized cage. Animáis weighing up to 1,200 pounds pass right through the cage when the holding lever is thrown back against the right side. Cows heavy in calf and larger animáis back out of cage. The maker of this cage has remodeled it three times to get it as described and bas jysed it nine years.