No. 4.] IMPK£)VEMENT IN DAIRY STOCK. 173 



reference to abortion ? I want to know in regard to a cow 

 carrying her calf after she has aborted once, — does she 

 twice? My experience is that, when I have had one abort 

 even several times, after she drops a live calf then there is 

 no more abortion. After they drop a live calf, I had rather 

 have them than one that never aborted. 



Mr. Ellis. We have very few cases of abortion the 

 second time, 



Mr. Harrison. Hasn't it been proved it is a disease, 

 and not a mechanical trouble? 



Mr. Ellis. Yes ; but we use the greatest care in disin- 

 fecting both our bulls and cows. 



Mr. Harrison. I would like to know what you use for 

 antiseptics, and how soon you allow service after abortion. 



Mr. Ellis. The time would vary, — never less than 

 thi-ee months, and from that up to six months, depending 

 upon the condition of the cow. Carbolic acid is as good as 

 anything. It makes very little difference which of several 

 antiseptics you. use, as long as they are properly used. 



With reference to pasturing, I will give the experience 

 we had last year in one pasture. We leased a pasture of 

 about 132 acres. In one corner there were several acres of 

 pine woods, in another corner quite a lot of marshy land, so 

 there was very little over 100 acres left to pasture. We 

 put into the pasture 65 heifers and a bull, and it not only 

 carried all those animals, but we found the grass w^as get- 

 ting ahead of us. We mowed two tons of good hay in 

 July, and put 30 dry cows there about six weeks in one 

 part of the pasture, and those taken out the day before 

 Thankso-ivino' were fat. 



Dr. J. B. LiNDSEY. I believe this is a subject of very 

 great interest to the farmers of Massachusetts. I have felt 

 for a long time, and still feel, that we as dairymen did not 

 give sufficient attention to the improvement of our dairy 

 stock. It has been a great pleasure to me to visit occasion- 

 ally Mr. Ellis's herds, and see what a wonderful improve- 

 ment he has made and the great success he has Kad in 

 developing his herds. He has 200, more or less, of as fine 

 heifers — the finest, I might say, that I have ever seen, 



