Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-12-09

We have seen q case of this kind this very
season, where there could be little doubt that
this was the cause. The fact is, when the
time of parturition is approaching, and. liz
deed, during the whole pregnancy of the
cow i, the farmer cannot be too careful in his
management of breeding animals.
Cows that have been poorly fed through
the winner, and then turned upon good and
juicy grass in spring are very apt to miscarry.
1t will cause extreme laxity of the bowels
which OF itself often causes abortion. And
so an extremely watery food like potatoes
in too large quantities, or other food that
leads to great laxity of the bowels, is to be
avoided.
Again, fright, such III may be occasioned
By an extraordinary thunder storm, or any
| other cause, will often cause abortion.
Another cause, and by 10 means an I'M
common one, is q connection with the bull
after pregnancy has begun. Ex.rerae fitigue
and blows received from other animals in the
nerd will cause a COW to slink her calf.
The introduction of 8 COW that has q ten
dency to abort into Il new herd viii often
cause all, or g very large proportion. of the
that it is contagious, CT infectious, or even
epidemic. 1t arises from a sort of sympathy
through a deiicacy Of smell. Bad smells OF
any kind, in the cow stables, or about the
barn during the pregnancy of the COWS
should be carefully avoided.
We began, however with the design oil
presenting TO orr readers the conclusions OF
the commission t. which we have already
alluded in our recent numbers, and which
cannot be otherw ise than interesting TO every
farmer.
/. Abortion exists as n serious maiady, in
some parts Of New York and Massachusetts
and in one or two localities in Pennsylvania.
1t is very rare or entirely absent, in Ohio,
Illinois, Michigan and Iowa.
2. In New York. the annual number OF
abortions among cattle has considerably in
creased since the year Ie60-6l. At present
the number of sbortions for the entire State
is about ) Ter cent of the whole number of
COWS IN calf.
3. Abortion Is not prop0rtionate IL ire
quency in the quantities OF butter or cheese
produced in the affected district.
4. II is not more prevalent among good
mixers than among ordinary mixers.
). Il is not more common in first pregnan-
cies than in subsequent ones.
o. ID happens most frequently in the sixth,
seventh and eighth month of pregnancies, and
in the months OF December, January and
February.
7. In ali probability, Il is not due to ex-
BOD1A1 = 1OAAf Az ~ cAAI ~
any kind.
&. II ia not more prevalent among cows
inpregnated at the age of one year or eigh-
teen months, than among those impregnated
at a later period.
9. It is more frequent among COWS which
have been impregnated by two or three year
old bulls, than among those i~mpregnated by
y~earling bulls.
10. IL is not dae to Inflammation Of the
uterus, or to any marked change in the gener-
ative organs, other than 9 stoppage Of the cir
c~ulation and arres. Of development.
IL. Ii is probably not owing to any defect
in the original formation Of the foetus.
II. Aborting cows are more liable to abort
the following year, than others which have
never been affected,
-. The early separation OF the calf from
the cow does not sem 70 have any injurious
influence in producing subsequent aborticns.
a. Abortion is q disease which is extreme
" local in character. and confined, for the
most part, to particular farms.
Is. The large majority of farms. even in
the affected districts, are fres from the ds-
ease while upon a few farms the percentage
of abortion is high, and the disease destruc-
tive in it's effects.
Is. Affected and unaffected farms often Ii
mingled together in close proximity there
being no marked difference in their physical
situation, or in the treatment of their cattle,
70 account for the difference in the preya-
lence Of abortiops.
II. Il Is probable that abortion Is. in
many instances, imported into the affected
farm by cows purchased while in calf COM
ing from infected districts is not known to
exist.