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Mr. J W. Edwards to Director. 



In answer to your enquiry about abortion in cows and mares, I 

 cannot say that I know of the calabash or any other plant in this 

 country, when entire, producing such unfavourable results. 



At this property we have had but occasional cases, and I advocate 

 on the first appearance of a case of abortion in any pasture to remove 

 the cow or mare from the other animals, as it is of a sympathetic 

 nature." 



Mr. J. P. Clark to Director. 

 " I cannot say I have ever suffered from cows casting their calves 

 through eating calabash, of course I have had cases, and will observe 

 in future if one occurs whether it is in the calabash season." 



Mr. Henry Maxicell to Director. 

 " I have several calabash trees growing on the common here (Friend- 

 ship) and have noticed the cows eating the pulp with no bad effects. 

 I made enquiries of several of the oldest black headmen in the 

 adjoining properties and they also have never experienced it or heard 

 of its having that effect. I do not know of any plant that causes 

 it in either case. 1 have had a few cases amongst cattle in very hot 

 and dry weather and attributed them to that coupled with bad water 

 causing poverty in the animal." 



Mr. J. I. Cohen to Director. 

 "Referring to your letter in reference to question of calabash pulp, 

 I have spoken to two of my managers, practical men, and both say 

 they have never known such a thing though it is well known that the 

 pulp of the young calabash is used by people for cleaning their bowels 

 after a fall and the leaves I believe are used by women for tea for 

 forcing the menstrua. It is well known that if a cow or several cows 

 happen to see one cow cast her calf, that they are also likely to do 

 the same and if a mare should see the dead carcass of a cow or horse 

 in a putrid state she is likely to cast her foal This is all the infor- 

 formation I can give you on the subject." 



Mr. Stafford Maxicell to Director. 

 " I have never known a cow cast her calf or a mare her foal from 

 eating calabash. I had a cow at Northampton that always ate the 

 calabash from the trees, and she calved every year The pulp boiled 

 is a very strong purgative, and if given to either cows or mares when 

 they are heavy in young, it will bring on abortion. If there are 

 several cows in calf or mares in foal, and one casts its young, the 

 others will too, if allowed to remain in the same pasture, brought on 

 from sympathy. Mares also cast their foals from bad smells, and very 

 dry Guinea grass. 



Mr. C. L. Walker to Director. 

 " I have a great quantity of the common calabash at Ballards Valley 

 in St. Mary, and must certainly say that my breeding cows of which 

 I keep a good number there have not suffered in the way you men- 

 tioned. Probably it is the wild calabash and not the common one 

 which causes abortion among cattle." 



Mr. A. C. Kennedy to Director. 

 " I have lopped calabash trees in Manchester for my cattle during 



