298 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[August, 
■ — .... . ._ 
H. Carmalt (who had been Dr. Dalton’s assist¬ 
ant). The Society published three annual re¬ 
ports from these Commissioners—which may 
be briefly summed up as follows: 
Over 1,000 replies were made to the circulars 
of inquiry sent out to farmers and others. 
There were also appointed six assistant inspec¬ 
tors, at salaries of $100 per month beyond 
their expenses. They were directed to inquire 
especially into the condition in which dairy 
cow's were kept as to cleanliness, temperature, 
humidity or dryness of stables, odors in stables, 
the manner of tying the cattle in their stalls, 
and the space allowed to each animal; also, 
into an}' noticeable circumstances which could 
influence the condition of pregnant cow's. Both 
farmers and inspectors reported as to all man¬ 
ner of conditions, in minute detail. As a result, 
it was not proven that any set of conditions 
was more prevalent on farms where abortion 
was frequent than on those where it was un¬ 
known. In 1867 reports were made concerning 
farms in forty counties, on which there were 
kept 49,749 cow's. Of these 2,574 had aborted 
—being about one in nineteen. In the ten coun¬ 
ties where there had been the most abortion the 
proportion of cases wms from five per cent to 
ten per cent of the whole number pregnant. It 
was not found that the disease was the most 
prevalent in large herds. The cases w r ere equally 
numerous whether the cows were kept for but¬ 
ter, cheese, or milk. Among what were rated 
as “ordinary” milkers there w r as a shade more 
of abortion than among the “good” milkers, 
but not enough more to amount to an argument. 
There were about as many in proportion among 
heifers pregnant for the first time as among 
older cows. It w r as found that out of 1,180 
cases 171 had occurred in the 5th month of 
pregnancy, 214 in the 6th, 288 in the 7th, 295 in 
the 8tli, and 124 in the 9th. Out of 1,758 cases 
164 had occurred in November, 343 in Decem¬ 
ber, 385 in January, 405 in February, 274 in 
March, and 88 in April (the full period usually 
falling in or near this latter month). This shows 
a pretty steady increase after housing the stock, 
but it does not prove that housing is a cause of 
the disease. Cold and exposure seemed to have 
had little influence. Neither did the amount of 
shade and w'ater in the pastures, nor t)ie dis¬ 
tance from the milking-yard to the pasture. 
The general conclusion was reached that no or¬ 
dinary form of mismanagement has an influ¬ 
ence in causing abortion. Impregnation at too 
early an age was not found to be a cause (but it 
was not determined how this may affect their 
future pregnancies), nor was the use of imma¬ 
ture bulls, nor the use of the bull on too many 
cows. The disease is rarely fatal to the cow. 
Of those who had aborted before, about 22 per 
cent aborted the second year. The early re¬ 
moval of the calf did not seem to cause the 
cow to abort with her next calf, 
j The disease was usually very local, being con¬ 
fined to particular farms and not spreading to 
adjoining herds. It exists nowhere as an epi¬ 
demic. Soil and situation seem to have nothing 
to do with its frequency. It is usually a pur¬ 
chased cow that brings it to a new farm, but 
not especially from a herd in which it has 
already appeared. Abortion was not found to 
be due to any inflammation of the womb, nor 
to any marked change in the reproductive or¬ 
gans. “ It is probably not due to any defect in 
the original formation of the foetus.” 
In the examination of 1868 especial attention 
was given to the influence of ergot. Out of 
75,000 cows, 4,350 of which aborted, not one 
■ease was traced to this cause. Neither did the 
proportion of ground feed appear to have any¬ 
thing to do with the frequency of the cases. 
The disease was thought to be more likely to 
occur on a farm which had once been affected 
than on one where it had never appeared. It 
also appeared that it would be better to buy 
cows not in calf, as there was some indication 
that abortion is more frequent when the cows 
had been moved in a pregnant condition. 
Dr. Carmalt thinks, and he believed there wms 
evidence to sustain his opinion, “ that an exces¬ 
sive drain upon the milking eapacity of a preg¬ 
nant cow is injurious to the healthful perform¬ 
ance of the reproductive process.” 
In the examination of 1868 it was found that 
71 per cent of the abortions occurred during 
the last three months of pregnancy; that cows 
which have had their first calves when under the 
age of three years are more likely to abort subse¬ 
quently than those which were over three years 
old when they first calved, in the proportion of 
five to three; that cows which have been moved 
are more liable to abort than those kept on the 
farms on which they were raised, in the propor¬ 
tion of 7i to 4; that cows removed during 
pregnancy are more liable to abort, in the pro¬ 
portion of nine to two; and that excessive 
lactation during pregnancy is liable to arrest 
the development of the 
foetus, and thus cause abor¬ 
tion. In 1869 an examina¬ 
tion was made of the con¬ 
dition of the dairy herds in 
Geauga Co., Ohio, as com¬ 
pared with those in Herk¬ 
imer Co., N. Y.— both dairy 
counties. Geauga Co. is en¬ 
tirely free from the disease, 
and nearly every condition 
exists there which in Herk¬ 
imer Co. accompanies its 
worst development. For 
instance, the farmers of 
Geauga buy 70 per cent of 
their cows. In general 
terms, it may be stated that 
the result of this whole in¬ 
vestigation has been very 
slight indeed. It is made to 
appear that it is injurious to 
milk a cow (especially a 
large milker) too near to the 
time of her next calving; but 
even this is not proven, and 
even if it w T ere it would be 
doubtful whether more 
money would not be gained than lost by milking 
at least seven months after impregnation. The 
reports are very valuable as showing in which 
direction future investigations should not lie. 
them insnany places, east and west and north 
and south, we iiave noted particularly the best 
and the worst features of a great many of them. 
The objectionable features we avoid, and the 
best we combine together in the plan here pre¬ 
sented to our readers who are interested in 
either the improvement of some grounds already 
in existence or the construction of altogether 
new ones. The best arranged and the hand¬ 
somest fair grounds we have visited, and we 
have seen more or less in almost every State of 
the Union, is decidedly that of St. Louis. Those 
who are familiar with those grounds will pro¬ 
bably recognize some points in our plan com¬ 
mon to them. The great ends to be attained 
are roominess, convenience both for stock and 
for the visitors as well as the exhibitors, attract¬ 
iveness of appearance, and such an artistic ar¬ 
rangement of the buildings, grass plots, shrub¬ 
bery, and trees as shall prevent the slightest 
appearance of desolation when the visitors are 
few, or the appearance of crowding when they 
are very numerous. For county fairs, “ten 
acres is enough.” This gives room enough to 
accommodate 5,000 people comfortably, or 
10,000 when crowded, which is as much or 
more than most counties can turn out on such 
an occasion. Of course, in that space ve do 
Plan of a Fair Ground. 
The Agricultural Fair is a valuable educa¬ 
tional institution. Not only is it a means of 
instruction and a stimulant to the farmer’s am¬ 
bition to excel and consequent profitable exer¬ 
tion, but it is a valuable means of recreation in 
which^his family can join with pleasure and 
profit. It should therefore be encouraged, and 
we are gratified to know that a lively interest is 
taken by our Readers in these local fairs. We 
know this because numerous requests have 
come to us for aid and help in the shape of ad¬ 
vice and instruction as to the laying out of fair 
grounds. Having for many years made a point 
of attending every agricultural fair held within 
our reach, and having consequently attended 
PLAN FOR A FAIR GROUND. 
not include a trotting-course. We do not rec¬ 
ommend it as an adjunct to the agricultural 
fair; it should be a distinct affair, and held on 
some other occasion, if held at all. A lot of 
ten acres, if square, as it should be, will give an 
eighth of a mile or 220 yards (40 rods) on each 
side. It should be as nearly level as possible. 
The center should be occupied by the show¬ 
ring for the exhibition of stock, in the middle 
of which w'ould be the stand for the judges 
(a) railed off from the ring. Around the 
ring would be a covered building to seat the 
spectators (b, b), the seats rising from front 
to rear in regular tiers all around. Beneath 
these seats, and outside the circle, would be 
roomy spaces for refreshment and retiring 
rooms (c, c), and for the exhibition of various 
articles of machinery or implements. Sur¬ 
rounding this central building should be grass 
plots with shade trees and ornamental shrub¬ 
bery. Outside of these again would be tw r o 
buildings (d, d), one on each side from the en¬ 
trance, for the exhibition of fruits and flowers, 
