No. 8. Abortion in Cows. — Absorption of Plants. — Late Grazing. 235 



cisely the same as those which present 

 themselves in ordinary labour, with the ex- 

 ception of their being less marked. 



Fumigation of the cow-house is resorted 

 to as one of the means of preventing the 

 spread of abortion: tar, sulphur, gunpowder, 

 feathers, and the like, are burned for the pur- 

 pose of destroying the odour. We have 

 never seen a single instance of the practice 

 being attended with the smallest success; 

 while it is obvious that, if carried beyond a 

 certain point, it may produce the very evil 

 it is intended to remove or mitigate. 



It is a remarkable feature in the history 

 of this complaint, that those cows that have 

 once miscarried, are particularly liable to 

 do so again, at the same period of their suc- 

 ceeding pregnancy. Greater care is there- 

 fore requisite to guard against those causes 

 which do, or are supposed to excite it. The 

 treatment of abortion, when it does take 

 place, differs not from that adopted in cases 

 of parturition, only that the cow which mis- 

 carries, should be removed with all that be- 

 longs to her, from among pregnant cows. 



If the signs of approaching abortion, be 

 discovered early, the accident may some- 

 times be prevented. If the cow is in good 

 condition, then immediately let it be bled to 



ingredients, not only hurtful, but absolutely 

 destructive to their vitality ! Witness the 

 account of experiments on the mint plants, 

 by Jethro Tull — see page 365, of the 4th 

 volume of Cabinet ; as also late very inte- 

 resting facts, relating to the preservation of 

 timber, by filling its pores by absorption, 

 with poisonous substances; as well as colour- 

 ing matters, to imitate expensive woods. In 

 short, I would ask, whether plants could be 

 injured by ingredients contained in the soil, 

 (of course I do not mean those which are so 

 acrimonious as to be destructive of their or- 

 gans of vitality) unless they were so taken 

 into circulation. I by no means agree with 

 your correspondent, that no good has resulted 

 from the extended and exciting controversy, 

 which has been carried on through the pages 

 of the Cabinet, on the subject of magnesian 

 lime; for I am one who believes that it is 

 only necessary to set people to thinking, and 

 good must come. It is like casting bread 

 upon the waters, which will be found after 

 many days — after people have grown facts 

 for themselves. It is only for us to have 

 patience and give a little time, and the truth 

 will in the end prevail. We esteem that 

 the most highly, which has cost us the most 

 labour and expense to obtain : he then, who 



the extent of five or six quarts, and theJias bought the truth, will know Lest the 



bowels opened with half a pound of Epsom value of it. T. 



salts, three or four drams of aloes in powder, Delaware. 



or as many ounces of castor oil, administered 



in a quart of gruel ; but if the cow is in 



very poor condition, and the miscarriage is 



anticipated from her having been exposed 



to cold, it would be more advantageous to 



avoid bleeding, and give her a warm grue 



Late Grazing. — It is a bad practice to 

 suffer the cattle to run out after they have 

 come to the barn. The little they obtain 

 from the fields, saves nothing from the ex- 

 pense of keeping them, and the gnawing of 

 drink, with an ounce" of laudanum in it Ifiithe grass roots, is a serious detriment to the 



after this, abortion does take place, let her 

 be kept in a comfortable place by herself; 

 and if the afterbirth has not passed off, let 

 no injudicious and unnecessary administra- 

 tion of violent forcing medicines, such as 

 capsicum or hellebore, be given. Nature, 

 with a little assistance, is generally equal 

 to the perfect restoration of the animal. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Absorption of Plants. 



Messrs. Editors, — Your very intelligent 

 correspondent and acute observer, as well as 

 first-rate practical agriculturist, \V. P. K., 

 who writes with so sharp a pen, must 

 promise not to cut me off at the knot, as the 

 saying is, and I will venture to ask, in reply 

 to his observation, that as magnesia is found 

 to be a component part of plants, that, there- 

 fore, it must be considered an aliment on 

 which they feed ; whether we do not find 

 that plants will readily take into circulation 



subsequent crop. Sheep, especially, do great 

 injury by close feeding the clover stubble 

 and other sorts of grass, which from its na- 

 tural fragility and tenderness, is liable to 

 winter kill. As a general rule, all descrip- 

 tions of animals should be kept up after the 

 descent of the first heavy snow. 



Running at liberty, and getting occasion- 

 ally to the ground, begets a distaste for hay, 

 and renders them fastidious as to food, gene- 

 rally, without conferring any advantage in 

 return. Another important consideration, 

 and one which no prudent and judicious 

 cultivator will ever lose sight of, is the 

 wastage of their manure. Even when ani- 

 mals are suffered to go but a short distance 

 to water, the loss in this particular, is 

 greater than most are prepared to admit. 

 We have ever found that by confining our 

 stock to their yards, during winter, we have 

 succeeded much better than when we pur- 

 sued the opposite practice, of suffering them 

 to run at large. — Maine Cultivator. 



