The California Amciilturist 



mmKWM 





Vol. 6. 



San Jose, Cal., July, 1S75. 



Ho. 7. 



AIDING PARTURITION. 



Almost every farmer who owns cows has, 

 on one or more occasions, to render some aid 

 and assistance to them during calving time. 

 Some persons, with mistaken modesty, may 

 regard this as a subject too delicate to be 

 treated on in a newspaper. While we believe 

 in true modesty and propriety, and take pride 

 in allowing nothing in the Agkicdltuuist 

 AND Live Stock Journal but what is both pure 

 and first class in sentiment, we, at the same 

 time,- confess that we are not qualmish about 

 speaking upon a subject of importance where 

 the truth should be known, that practice may 

 be according to nature, and result in benefit 

 instead of injury. There is a lamentable de- 

 gree of ignorance among people generally, 

 upon many important subjects, which must 

 be attributed mainly to a false f eeUng without 

 comprehensive reasons. 



This month (June) we had a case thrust 

 upon us wherein our duty was plain, and aid 

 was necessary to save the life of an animal 

 and to relieve her of severe suffering. We 

 will write up the case and oflor such sugges- 

 tions as we believe will be of value to who- 

 ever has to undertake a similar act of charity 

 or duty. 



The cow was quite old and not very strong, 

 although, having been kept on good pasture, 

 was in fair condition of flesh. She was not 

 expected to have a calf soon, and strayed 

 away and was out of the herd some twenty- 

 four hours before her absence caused alarm. 

 When found, she was lying in the dry bed of 

 a creek, and so exhausted from severe pro- 

 tracted labor that she was unable to raise 

 upon her hind feet. She could, and did, fre- 

 quently try to arise, and would shift from ly- 

 ing upon one side to the other. The nose 

 and fore feet of the calf only was in sight. 

 The circulation of blood through the placenta 

 from the mother to the fcetus had ceased, and 

 as the connection was broken the ealf died 

 from suffocation, its tongue protruding from 

 its mouth. The paroxysms of labor were 

 fearful, and called out every feeling of sym- 

 pathy. Her strength was being rapidly ex- 

 hausted, and so weak was she that nature, 

 unaided, was unavailing. Immediate assist- 

 ance was imperative. What to do was the 

 all-important question. Pulling ofl' the coat 

 and rolling up the sleeves took but a moment. 

 And gr.isping the projecting feet and pulling 

 with full force lohen the cow strained, and easing 

 xq) the moment she let go her breath for a rest, 

 was what we did, and just the best possible 

 thing to do. 



Here is an important point to be borne in 

 mind, and we particularly request every read- 

 er to remember it: Never pull excepting to 

 aid labor; always slack up the moment the 

 muscles of the mother relax. The powerful 

 abdominal muscles are all exercised at every 



throe or pain, and not a muscle in the whole 

 body but what becomes rigid in sympathy to 

 assist. Then alter a moment of teri'iflc effort 

 the muscles must again relax to resain force 

 through rest for another effort. One, with- 

 out knowing any better, would most likely 

 keep up a steady pulling strain, irrespective 

 of nature's efforts. Here is where the great 

 danger is. Many cows are ruined by such 

 mal-practice. The muscles are over-strained 

 without power to relax, and there is much 

 danger of serious ruptures unless the assist- 

 ing strain is relaxed whenever the labor re- 

 laxes. The common opinion that it is dan- 

 gerous to assist a cow during parturition 

 arises from the want of understanding on this 

 point, and from a constant strain instead of 

 a surging, not jerking pull to aid natui-e in 

 her efforts. 



In this case, our unaided strength was only 

 suflieient to bring the calf's shoulders in sight. 

 We were alone, and a long distance from help; 

 so we went to the house, got a bucket of 

 water, a halter rope, and a strong stake, six 

 feet long, with one end pointed. The water 

 was for the cow to drink, which she did most 

 gratefully. The rope we slipped over the calf's 

 head, and making a loop in the other end 

 slipped it over the stake. By sticking the 

 stake into the ground for a leverage, we could 

 pull as much as three men without it, and 

 with comparative ease. In a few throes the 

 hind feet of the calf were brought in sight. 

 (The hind feet are, or should bo, always in 

 the position as when lying down.) We then 

 changed the slip from the neck to the hind 

 feet, and one more throe relieved the cow. 



In this case, the cow bore twins, both dead, 

 of course. Our assistance was again needed, 

 but little force, however, was required to fin- 

 ish up the work, the placenta, or cleanings, 

 following the last birth. 



While using the stake leverage, we once or 

 twice strained steadily after the throes had re- 

 laxed, and observed the effect. Pain imme- 

 diately followed pain, and great distress and 

 exhaustion to the cow was at once apparent. 

 Again we say, bear in mind that it is danger- 

 ous .and wrong to strain steadily. Only act 

 in conjunction with natural labor. Also, 

 please remember to attach a rope to the hind 

 legs of the ealf as soon as it can be done, as 

 this is the easiest way to accomplish the 

 work. 



The after treatment was bran mash, one 

 quart of bran to a bucketful of water, and all 

 she would drink. As the weather was hot, 

 and the cow lay in the sun, we did not try to 

 give it very warm ; simjjly scalded the bran 

 first, then poured in water cold. After a 

 while we carried a sack of hay, and at night, 

 by coaxing her along with a wisp of hay, en- 

 ticed her to the stable, where she can have 

 the rest she most needs in comfort. 



We cannot conclude this article without 



giving credit where credit is due, viz.: to our 

 good wife, who has had the advantage of a 

 medical course of education, and understands 

 practically a good deal about obstetrical cases. 

 Her advice was solicited, and our success in 

 this case largely depended upon it, as does the 

 information we have been prompted to give 

 above. 



TO OUR FRIENDS. 



The first half of Volume 6 of the Califor- 

 nia AoniCULTUKIST AND LiVE Stock Jouknal, 

 is now issued. The Publishers, who are 

 working faithfully to make just such a jour- 

 nal as is needed on the Pacific Coast, and 

 who expect soon to make greater improve- 

 ments in its appearance, send greeting to all 

 friends, and ask each one to use his or her 

 endeavor to increase its subscription Ust, by 

 getting one or more new subscribers. 



As an inducement, we will commence neio 

 subscrij)tio7ts for 1876 now, or at any time be- 

 tween now and January, which will allow 

 several copies over a year as a direct premium 

 to new subscribers who pay $1.50 in advance. 



Show numbers of the California AonictrL- 

 TUHisT and Live Stock Journal to your 

 neighbors and friends, and if you believe U,ie\\ 

 them it is just the paper that they want and 

 should have; adapted to our California climate 

 and culture, cheap, in convenient form for 

 reading and preservation, practical, reliable, 

 instructive, social, progressive, pure in moral 

 tone, and really entertaining. 



No more generous offer was ever made by 

 any journal to new subscribers. We have 

 been often reassured that there are many 

 thousands of persons on this coast who would 

 not consent to do without the Agriculturist 

 if they once subscribed. "Do by others as 

 you would be done by," is the rule. Advise 

 as you would be advised, and we will be grate- 

 ful for every favor and endeavor to be true to 

 our obligations. 



FIRE IXSUBANCE. 



Mr. J. A. Clayton, real estate agent, has 

 been appointed agent for several first-class 

 insurance comiiaiiies. He is well-known in 

 this couuty as a business man, and we ad- 

 vise any of our readers who contemplate in- 

 suring to call and see him at his new office, 

 290 Santa Clara street, in the Farmers' Gold 

 Bank building. 



George B. Harmon, lately from the East, 

 has bought out the grocery business of C. A. 

 Hough, who retires, as see per advertisement 

 on first page. Mr. Holloway, who started the 

 store, has now a position on the S. F. Post. 



The Missouri Democrat states that a farmer 

 mer in Johnson couuty, Kansas, caught 2i 

 bushels of grasshopiiers in two days upon 

 his farm. 



