84 



On Abolition in Coios. 



times termedj hreahing hull^' exists extensively in a stocTc, and 

 the cows in numbers are continually coming in heat, they should 

 all of them be confined in the house till oestrum is about eoing: 

 off, then be put to the male, and confined for a day or two more. 

 If the farmer thinks proper he may bleed them ; this, beyond 

 lessening: their milk for a few days, will do no harm. The medi- 

 cines which farriers and old women sometimes recommend to 

 make cows " hold to the bull," or conceive, are unworthy of 

 dependence. 



A cow which has cast calf several times in succession acquires 

 such a habit (if it may be so termed) of doing- so, that it is ex- 

 ceedingly difficult to overcome. Notice should be taken of the 

 period of each abortion, and in her next pregnancy, a fortnight or 

 so before the accession of this period^ she should be bled, tied up, 

 and treated as before advised for prevention. She should be con- 

 fined for some time, so as to ensure the utmost quietness. If 

 such measures are not effectual towards promoting what is desired, 

 it is best to feed or sell the animal. Such cows as this, on being 

 taken to another farm or fresh herd, will very often take the bull 

 and carry their calves to the full period of gestation. 



In those unhappy instances where abortion to a destructive 

 extent occurs in a stock of cows for years successively, and seems 

 rather to increase than to diminish in prevalence, we have to con- 

 tend with the pest in its most formidable character. A breeder 

 or farmer does not like to sell animals to which he attaches great 

 value, yet by separating the affected from the non-affected cows, 

 and by adopting every other remedial and preventive plan of 

 treatment which his own experience or professional knowledge 

 can suggest, he sees matters becoming worse season after season. 

 We believe that under the circumstances nothing short of 

 thoroughly changing his affected stock, by feeding or selling them 

 off, will be of any service. He may do so at a great sacrifice, 

 but it vvill be less than the one which from appearances he w ill in 

 all probability incur, by having every year a number of cows sup-- 

 plying neither calves nor much amount of milk. The longer this 

 decisive step is delayed after fairly trying other methods of pre- 

 vention, the worse matters usually become; and hence the im- 

 portance during two or three years, when abortions are few in 

 number and confined to much the same cows, of feeding or other- 

 wise disposing of these animals. 



If abortion be confined mainly to animals in high condition, it 

 is generally fair to infer that over-feeding is the predisposing 

 cause, and the other cows still pregnant may, at all events, be 

 more limited in diet. If, on the other hand, it seems to depend 

 on poverty in condition, a more liberal supply of food is the 

 obvious remedy. When it is owing to the irritation or exhaustioR 



