504 AMERICAN CATTLE. 



New York. In the Transactions of the New York State Agri- 

 cultural Society for the year 1866, it is stated that "the farmers 

 in the counties of Herkimer, Oneida, Lewis, and Otsego, have 

 been for some years, and are now suffering great loss and dam 

 age from the abortion of their cows. The abortions occur in 

 almost every month of gestation ; but more particularly from 

 the sixth to the ninth month. 



"In a few cases, the cows die in consequence of abortion; in 

 others, they, remain several months in a feeble and sickly con- 

 dition, during which they cannot be fattened; in others, they 

 continue to give milk, but the flow is poor in quality, and small 

 in quantity. In some cases, and those appear to be in the 

 majority, from the reports we have received, the farmer loses the 

 use of the cow for a whole year. 



"The disease began to manifest itself about twelve years ago, 

 and has been gradually increasing ever since. It was greatly 

 intensified in the year 1865, and continued to increase in 1866. 

 In the year 1866, from the best information we can obtain, 

 twenty-five per cent, of the cows in the county of Herkimer 

 aborted; in Oaeida, twenty-five per cent.; in Otsego, fifteen per 

 cent.; in Lewis, twelve per cent. In the other dairy districts, the 

 disease exists, but we are unable to obtain the measure of loss. 



"The farmers' clubs, of those counties, have labored zealously, 

 and have expended a great deal of money to ascertain the cause 

 of the disorder, but hitherto without success. 



"On high lands and low lauds, on old pastures and on new, in 

 high, and low bred stock, in cows that were purchased, and 

 those which were bred on the farm, in those that were high fed, 

 and those that were fed sparingly, in those that were kept in 

 underground stables, and in those that were kept above ground, 

 in large and small herds, on pastures that had been plastered, 

 (with gypsum,) and those which were unplastered, the same 

 liability to abortion appears. 



