erirsntan. 
ABORTION IN COWS. 
A correspondent of the North British 
Agriculturist makes the following inquiry : 
I have a dairy nr forty milk cows, and within 
tho last six weeks eight of them have east their 
calves three and four months before their time. 
The cows are in prime condition. Can you tell 
me it there is anything I can do to prevent it 
spreading? or state what you think can be the 
cause? 
The veterinary editor responds ti3 fol¬ 
lows:—“It is often difficult to discover the 
exact causes that bring about abortion either 
in cows or ewes. The immediate cause of 
the accident is, of course, premature separa¬ 
tion between the mother and fetus. This 
results sometimes from mechanical means, 
such as violent exertion, running from dogs, 
slipping on awkward standings, rough treat¬ 
ment from attendants, long journeys, shaking 
and excitement during transit by railway. 
From the mechanical disturbance of an 
overloaded stomach, tire relations of the 
womb to its contents are also deranged, and 
lienee hoven, fardel-bound, and oilier forms 
of indigestion, and even obstinate attacks of 
constipation niul diarrhea lead to abortion. 
But the majority of abortion cases proceed 
from less tangible causes. They depend 
upon some subtile nervous disturbance— 
upon a sort of morbid sympathy. A cow 
calving or aborting is apt to induce other 
cows in the same Or even adjoining yards to 
follow suit. Through their sensitive noses 
the other pregnant cows are cognizant of 
what is going on ; they become excited, ns 
is evidenced by their watchful aspect, their 
sniffing, restlessness, and lowing. 
This excitement tells prejudicially on the 
nervous system, and especially on that por¬ 
tion of it regulating the condition of the 
uterus and the nutrition of the fetus. In a 
manner not so easily explained, perhaps by 
what is technically known as a reflex action, 
the contractions of the uterus arc prema¬ 
turely established, and its contents arc ex¬ 
pelled. 
The influence of the imagination on the 
health, even of the lower animals, is proba¬ 
bly not sufficiently recognized. Those who 
doubt the influence of the senses and imagi¬ 
nation on health, and even life, will do well 
to remember the curious case of the con¬ 
demned criminal who was informed that he 
was about to be bled to death, bad Ids eyes 
blindfolded, his arm slightly punctured, and 
tepid water caused to trickle along the bared 
arm. The surgeons talk in whispers; gradu¬ 
ally the unfortunate man sinks as if from 
loss of blood, and actually faints and dies. 
In illustration of the same power of the im¬ 
agination is the case of four criminals who 
were made to sleep in beds said to have been 
recently occupied by persons who had died 
of cholera. Shortly the four men were seized 
with unmistakable symptoms of cholera. 
Four others who were sent to the same beds, 
but to whom the statement as to their occu¬ 
pation by cholera patients was not told, suf- 
fered no bad consequences. 
But returning to the case of abortion. 
Blood, putrifylng matters, and most bad 
smells exert on the senses and imagination 
of cows a marked exciting action ; the ani¬ 
mals go sniffing restlessly about as they do 
when a case of abortion itself has occurred. 
The eating of ergotized grains or grasses, 
whether taken in a natural state or alter 
being converted into hay, also produces 
abortion; but such cases, although strongly 
insisted on by most authorities, are not so 
frequent as might he supposed. We state 
this with tolerable confidence, because ergot 
of rye has been given daily, in large doses, 
to animals, from the time of conception 
throughout the period of gestation, without 
interfering seriously with general health, 
and certainly without hastening delivery. 
The drinking of foul water, and sometimes 
also scarcity of water, bad food and exhaust¬ 
ing diseases, interfere with Hie healthy nu¬ 
trition of the calf, cause Us disease or death, 
and thus become causes of abortion. In 
such cases the fetus often comes away 
putrid, and as if it had been dead several 
days previous to its expulsion. The causes 
thus indicated may, we trust, tlu’ow some 
light on yoar cases. By discovering, if pos¬ 
sible, the causes which have led to your mis¬ 
haps, you may probably avert further losses. 
In your endeavors to ward off abortion, 
you will, of course, carefully attend to the 
feeding of your cows; make sure especially 
that their fare is not too bulky or indigesti¬ 
ble; see that they have abundance of good 
water; avoid having- them disturbed by 
dogs, or knocked about by rude cattlemen; 
remove any vicious or domineering animals 
which run or haunch their neighbors; do 
not permit manure to accumulate in the 
yards or courts, since, in this wet weather, it 
causes the pregnant cow loo much exertion 
to move about amongst it, and the forcible 
dragging out of an entangled limb may 
cause displacement of the fetus. Attend to 
cleanliness in and about the sheds and 
houses, and have the walls whitewashed. 
Remove to some separate place calving or 
aborting cows, and do not allow the clean¬ 
ings to lie in the yards or where pregnant 
cows can get at them. Do not permit pigs, 
sheep, or other animals to lie slaughtered in 
your cowyards, nor blood, entrails, or any 
odorous manures, or other such matters to lie 
about within smelling distance. 
Cows that have previously aborted are es¬ 
pecially apt to do so in successive pregnan¬ 
cies, and the accident is apt to occur about the 
same period of gestation. Such cows, unless 
they arc particular favorites, should not 
again be kept for the dairy. If, however, 
they arc again in calf, they must be careful¬ 
ly attended to as regards feeding, quiet, and 
general health. As they approach the time 
at, which, they have previously aborted, it is 
well to put them in by themselves. 
-- 
COWS-CRACKED TEATS. 
A CORRESPONDENT, J. II. II., had a cow 
with very sore teats and gave his “man” 
directions to apply the remedies found in 
the Rural, lie did so and failed. Then 
Mr. .T. II. II. took the business in charge 
himself and thus tells the result: 
“I begun with salt butter and made the 
application each time, both before and after 
milking. The first thing 1 did each time I 
sat down to the cow was to break off, with 
much care, every scab. It then made, a 
broad, raw looking sore. I then t horoughly 
greased with butter; then milked as best I 
could; alter that process, I greased again, 
and in less than one week had the satisfac¬ 
tion of milking without, bloody fingers—a 
thing that had not happened with her in 
four months. It is now about, throe weeks 
since 1 began with butter, and she is cured. 
“ L now believe that, it is much more im¬ 
portant to anoint the sores before milking 
than after; hut both should he done, mul no 
failure in removing the scabs. A piece of 
butter the size of a bean is sufficient for 
each night and morning. When I take my 
pail in hand I put such a piece on the hoot 
over the instep; then it is handy as T want 
it.. This was t he worst, case I have had in 
forty years, and I now believe that two 
ounces of salt hatter will cure any case of 
cracked teats.” 
jScicntific anb 
Information. 
GOOD AND DISEASED MEAT. 
Upon this important subject Good Health 
for January gives the following timely sug¬ 
gestions: — “ Good meat is neither of a pale 
pinkish color nor of a deep purple tint. The 
former is indicative of disease, and the latter 
is a sign that the- animal died from natural 
causes. Good meat, has also a marbled ap¬ 
pearance, and the fat, especially of the in¬ 
ternal organs, is hard and sucty, and is never 
wot; whereas that of diseased meat is soft 
and watery, often like Jelly or soddened 
parchment. Again, the touch or feel of 
healthy meat, is firm and elastic, and it 
hardly moistens the fingers ; whereas that of 
diseased meat is soft and wet—in fact, it is 
often so wet that serum (the watery part, of 
the blood) runs from It, and then it is tech¬ 
nically called wet. Good meat, has but little 
odor, and this is not disagreeable; whereas 
diseased meat smells faint and corpse-like, 
and it often has the odor of medicine. This 
is best observed by cutting it and smelling 
(lie knife, or by pouring a little warm water 
upon it. Good meat w ill bear cooking with¬ 
out. shrinking, and without losing very much 
in weight; but had meat shrivels up, and it 
often boils to pieces. 
“ AH these effects are due to the presence 
of a large proportion of serum in the meat, 
and (o the relatively large amount of inter 
cellular or gelatinous tissue; for the tilt and 
t rue muscular substance are to a greater or 
less extent deficient. The use of diseased 
meat not only affects the human constitution, 
but it is also certain that tape-worm, trichina, 
and oilier parasitical diseases are produced 
by it. Experience also points to the fact 
that carbuncles and common boils are in 
some degree referable to the use of the flesh 
of animals affected with plcum-pneumonia; 
and occasionally we witness the most seri¬ 
ous diarrhoea and prostration of the vital 
powers after eating diseased meat. It is, 
therefore, safest to forbid Its use.” 
4 * » 
Troubled Wtth Dream*.—A correspondent, at 
Spring-Hold, Til., asks some one to tell how to pre¬ 
vent being- troubled with dreams daring- sleep. 
The correspondent’s health is poor, and he (or 
she) Is ho troubled. I)reuni3 are usually the re¬ 
sult of a disordered physical or mental condition. 
Persons in perfect physical and mental health 
rarely dream. The prevent! ve, therefore, lies in 
recovering the health. Temperance in eating 
ami drinking is one way to prevent dreams. 
--- 
How io Drink lee XVater. Samuel Mitchell, 
M. D., says, in the Country Gentleman, that lee 
water may lie drunk .so as to be very injurious 
to healih, iiitd even dangerous to life: or it mav 
lie drunk in u manner tobca healthful am) very 
refreshing beverage*. lee water should ohoityi) 
ht (frt/nh slawtij. The warmer and more thirsty 
the drinker, the slower he should drink. The 
swallows should betaken at •uifiioicrit intervals 
to allow the stomach to gradually accommodate 
itself to the great change of temperature. 
SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION. 
P. C. Doyle, Sup’t Fire Department, 
Buffalo, N. Y., communicates to the Courier 
some interesting facts upon this subject, from 
which the following arc selected: 
lie says Dr. Jackson of Boston, Mass., 
states a case which was communicated to 
him by Mr. Atherton, of Amherst, N. II. 
An iron pipe containing steam not under 
pressure, packed in shavings, passed over¬ 
head in a saw mill. The shavings took tiro 
from steam pipes, and the mill was de¬ 
stroyed. The cause, as stated by Dr. Jack- 
son, was the turpentine in the shavings dis¬ 
tilled by the hot pipes, attracted the oxygen 
from the air, thus producing spontaneous 
ignition. According to Mr. "Whiting, at tho 
Lonsdale mill, in Rhode Island, a box con¬ 
taining fine saw-dust was placed around a 
pipe conveying steam from one mill to an¬ 
other, for the purpose of preventing conden¬ 
sation of the steam. The agent of the mill 
stated that the box was on fire a great num¬ 
ber of times, undoubtedly from spontaneous 
ignition, as in the cases above stated. I do 
not wish to he understood ns laying tho 
cause of these tires to the steam pipes, ns in 
my opinion, when they are put up properly, 
they are the safest means of heating a 
building. 
Spontaneous ignition is found to occur in 
oily cotton waste, or raw cotton, which lias 
been used to clean machinery; in oily 
woolen waste, in oily rags soaked in linseed 
oil, which has been used for rubbing wood 
or furniture. The siccative or drying oils 
are found to he the most protective of such 
ignition, in piles of scraps from oil cloths, in 
piles of oiled clothing, where linseed oil lias 
been used;* in oiiy sawdust; in greasy rags 
from butter; in piles of tape measures 
covered with oily varnish; in lampblack, 
which is peculiarly subject to spontaneous 
ignition; in pieces and piles of charcoal; 
in certain mineral coals; in moist, hay,&e. 
The circumstances which favor spontaneous 
ignition are, tho accumulation or piling up 
of such materials, tho admission of exterior 
heat, as from exposure to the sun’s rays or 
to hot-uir pipes, anil the application of 
moisture. 1 understand that one of our 
oldest painters, Mr. l/jU . White, left some 
rags with which he ^iul been wiping off 
oil and paint on the ground at the foot of Ids 
step-ladder and in the course of thirty min¬ 
utes they had ignited. 
The following are experiments taken from 
the Boston papers in regard to charcoal: — 
“Three times,” says Dr. Jackson, "I have 
set fire to charcoal at temperatures below, 
that of boiling water. My first experiment 
or observation was accidental. I was pre¬ 
paring, while at Bangor, Me., for a lecture, 
in which I Imd occasion to show an artificial 
volcano. I took a tray filled with gunpow¬ 
der, and laid it on a stove to dry. I then 
took a paper of pulverized charcoal, such as 
is sold by the apothecaries for tooth-powder, 
the charcoal being wrapped in white paper, 
and placed it on t he top of the gunpowder 
which was being dried upon the stove. Hav¬ 
ing occasion to go out, I took off the paper 
of charcoal and laid it upon the table. When 
l cam© back, iu about twenty minutes, T ob¬ 
served the paper smoking; the charcoal was 
completely consumed. During all this time 
tho gunpowder remained on the stove unex- 
ploded. Charcoal has a wonderful porosity; 
it. has the power of analyzing air and absorb¬ 
ing the oxygen with comparatively little of 
( its nitrogen. Tho pores of the charcoal were 
previously filled with moisture; drying ex¬ 
pelled this moisture ; the oxygen of the air 
was condensed in the charcoal, taking the 
place of the moisture; the condensation of 
the oxygen produced sufficient heat to ignite 
the charcoal. 
The spontaneous ignition of oily waste 
and of chairoal proceeds from the same 
cause—the absorption and condensation of 
oxygen. 1 have collected these cases partly 
to show the circumstances under which 
spontaneous ignition occurs, and partly that 
by grouping them together, due impression 
may be made upon practical manufacturers 
and their workmen, who are often stubborn 
and incredulous ns to facts which have not 
come within their limited observation. Spon¬ 
taneous ignition is not an accident. With 
the proper conditions, it is us certain as 
the firing of gunpowder with a spark. 
Tlie cask of gunpowder, so instinctively 
dreaded, will not explode till the spark is 
applied. The pile of oily waste, harmless 
and innocent to all appearance, slowly but 
surely takes from the oxygen of the air t he 
moans for its own combustion, itself light¬ 
ing tho conflagration which most frequently 
bursts forth when the owners are sound 
asleep.” 
-■ — 
Huimie.— Will some Rural render give tho best 
and most practical mode of preparing sumac 
for tanning call' and upper Jig-Tit hides? Tt!l 
how it must be used, and in what quantities.— 
G. G. Bates. 
USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC ITEMS. 
Water Pipe .—Will some one having ex¬ 
perience toil me how iron pipe affects the 
water passing through it ? I am convinced 
that water lime or cement, can be laid cheap¬ 
er; and it is desirable when you have dry 
ground to lay it on. T took up one that had 
been laid fourteen years; found the most of 
It perfectly good, although it was not over 
two feet below the surface, and in some 
places not half that distance. Part of my 
ground is too wet to lay cement in.—W. T. 
S-, Bridal, Tml. 
Sulphur as a Deodorize)'. — Tho Maine 
Fanner, of Nov. 0., says:—“One night a 
sort of semi-domestic animal known as a 
skunk, took up his abode in the hack entry 
of our correspondent S. C. M.’s house, ami, 
being disturbed by the cat, emitted a most 
disagreeable odor—as he is always sure to do 
when he Is at all suspicious that bis rights 
are being invaded. The dairy being in the 
neighborhood of where the conflict took 
place, it became infested with the noxious 
odor, when our friend, in his haste to cleanse 
tho premises, burnt some sulphur in the 
room. The effect was magical, as it com¬ 
pletely neutralized all the foul smell. He 
consequently desires us to recommend its 
use for similar purposes, or for the cleansing 
of wells, cellars, Ac.” 
Green Tarlatan Poisonous .—An examina¬ 
tion of the brilliant green tarlatan so fre¬ 
quently worn for ball dresses has been made 
by .M. Bobierre. The sample was obtained 
at Nantes, and on being tested was found to 
contain 10.3 grains of Schweinfiu-t green— 
arson lie of copper—equivalent to 6.03 grams 
of white arsenic, to the square meter A full 
dress made of this tissue, therefore, would 
contain no less than 301.4 grams of copper 
alwnilo, equivalent, to 320 grams of white 
arsenic. A t every shaking of the tarlatan, 
even when very slight, clouds of a greenish 
dust came off which readily explained the 
poisoning of the party who made t he dress. 
il?tcp ijttsbanbrn. 
H. 8. RANDALL, LL. D., EDITOR, 
Of Coutla.no Villagk, Cortland County, New York. 
PRICES OF WOOL. 
Tms tabular statement of the prices of domestic 
fleece wool for the past fifteen years. Is abridged 
from compilation in Walter Brown & Son’s 
wool circular, January 1, 1870, 
|fomcrfogxca:I. 
WHAT CHERRIES SHALL WE 
PLANT ? 
_ 
When the question was asked the mem¬ 
bers of the Homological Convention at Phil¬ 
adelphia, wliul one variety they preferred to 
plant, several of us named the Downer’s 
Late. The reasons we had not time then to 
state, since, had wo all expressed our views, 
the session might not have ended as well 
and satisfactorily as it did. Our early cher¬ 
ries wo have scarce a taste of, as the birds, 
being the most active and numerous party, 
take nearly all before t hey arc ripe. At. first 
we divided equally, if we had a good crop; 
but now, as m don't. shoot them here, they 
have increased so last that they require the 
whole crop of early cherries. Of the early 
varieties that succeed, such as the Bigar- 
reaus, Black Tartarian, Black Eagle, Ac., 
the birds, flies and rose hugs get the largest 
share, and by the time the Downer’s Late Is 
ripened the bugs are gone, the birds are 
mostly satisfied, and the young robins pick 
up their insect, food, and wc have the full 
benefit of this variety. A most excellent 
kind it is, too,—healthy, but little subject., 
with us, to the black knot, a good hearer, 
and the fruit, for the dessert or canning, is 
among the best. The two next best and 
profitable varieties for us are the. Elton and 
Gov. Wood. They arc good fruit and the 
trees great bearers. Isaac Hicks, 
Old Wesbury, L. I. 
-♦♦♦- 
Cenh Currant*.— Wm. Saunders, Sup’t, of tho 
Experimental Garden at Washington, says: 
“Both seeds mul plants of these cun-ants have 
been repeatedly sent to the Department during 
tho past six years. They appear to bo varieties 
of ItihcM annum, and although the fruit, of 
several of them is large, of line appearance, and 
of a variety of colors, from light yellow to block, 
yet. It has largo seeds and hut tittle pulp, and 
will not probably be cultivated where the Im¬ 
proved varieties of the red currant (Rlhcs ru- 
Imirn ) cun lie procured. It Is said that line 
jollies have been prepared from thoso fruits, 
forming a good substitute for that produced by 
tho red and the white currant of the gardens. 
Many of these Utah sorts produce ns largo fruit 
us the cherry currant, but. of no distinctive 
flavor.” 
-- 
Seedling Apples in Wisconsin. — At a recent 
regular meeting of the Madison (Wis.) Hort. 
Soc.,—which, by the way, is an organization of 
live and intelligent members, as we had occa¬ 
sion to realize during our visit there last Sep¬ 
tember,—two seedling apples were presented 
from G. N. Smith, Berlin* named respectively 
“Northern Blush” and “Reliance." Another 
seedling, grown by J. P. W. Iltt.r., Token Creek, 
was christened “ Leitoh," in honor of the Presi¬ 
dent of the Society. 
-m - 
Gropes for Venango Co., Pa.—I wish some one 
to give me a list of grapes suited to my locality, 
and for planting on a high, dry, sandy, gravel 
ridge, clear from frost. Apples have never been 
n failure on the farm ou account of frost.—H. 
It. PHOT HER, Vcnanuo Co., Pa. 
- ■ - 
Huspberriew for Macon Go,, III. Who of our 
readers having experience in Macon Co., 111., or 
Vicinity, will tell a correspondent the two most 
hardy and productive raspberries to plunt there? 
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The average prices of domestic fleece wool in 
the United States, from 1857 to 18(11 were: for 
tine, 50 3-l0e.; for medium, 42 8-tOe.; nnd for 
coarse, 05.510. Average prices for four years, 
from 1HC1 to 188(1, (during the war.) for fleeces, 
<13 to H3c.; for pulled, 50 to 01c. Average prices 
for the year 1800: t’leocos, 15 to 7:.’e.; pulled, 29 
to (Me. A Mirage prices for the year |X07: Fleeces, 
40 to 70c.; pulled, to.57c. A vertigo prices for 
tho year 1808: fleeces, 40 to 07c.; pulled, 27 to 
10c. Average prices for t lie year 1809: Fleeces, 
43 to 67c.; pulled, 20 to GQo. 
-♦♦♦- 
Grain Troughs for Sheep,—Mr. MONTGOMERY 
writes in the Ohio Farmer“It so happens 
that 1 do not just now know, better than others, 
how to make anything except a sheep trough; 
but on tIn's you may bet your best hat, and ns 
feeding is just now in season, hero is the trough, 
premising, however, that I nm not writing for 
thoso nice careful men, who wish to have a grain 
trough and hay ruck combined, nor for others 
loss careful, who food corn in tho ear on tho 
ground. 
“Provide throe boards of convenient length, 
say 13 foot, one of which shall bo 13 Incites wide, 
and the other two f» inches each; provide also 
two pieces 13 Inches square for ends. 
“Now set one of the narrow boards on its 
edge and lay the wide one flat on the top of it, 
(lengthwise, ot! course,) so that the narrow one 
shall stand just one side the middle of tho wide 
0l)e, and SO unit it fast. Now set, tile other nar¬ 
row board on its edge and place the wide one as 
before, except, flu* other side up, nnd the other 
side of tho middle, and nail ns before ; now nail 
on the ends and l lie work is complete. 
“The advantages which this trough has over 
all others are that the sheep do not readily upset 
it; and use it or neglect it as you may, it lias 
always a dry, clean side, which all observing 
feeders know to be essential to the successful 
foddingof an animal so fastidious as a sheep.” 
--- 
Hegulnrlty in Feeding Shrep.—The utmost reg¬ 
ularity should be observed in tho times of feed¬ 
ing either store or fattening Sheep, and in giving 
them Just thcrequlaltoamountto last, them until 
tho next feeding. If permitted to waste hay, 
they rapidly acquire tho habit of doing so- i. e„ 
picking out the best nnd then waiting, even 
though quite hungry, for another feed. If the 
liny is coarse and was cut over-ripe, nnd especial¬ 
ly if clover hay be 11nis circumstanced, it is not 
profitable to compel the sheep to cat nil the orts 
or refuse; but even wtth such hay, sliocp can 
soon In? taught by over-feeding imd carelessness, 
to make a moat unnecessary degree of waste. 
All experienced flock-masters concur In tho 
opinion that sheep fed with perfect regularity 
as to time and amount, (making proper allow¬ 
ance for tin? weather,) will do better on rather 
inferior keep, thou outlie best without that, reg¬ 
ularity. I prefer feeding three times a day even 
in the shortest days of winter; but many good 
flock-masters feed but twice. I f fed three t inips, 
it should be at sunrise, noon,and an hour before 
dark ; if but twice, tho last feeding should be an 
hour earlier. Sheep do not stand at their racks 
and eat well In tho dark. It is not very impor¬ 
tant at what period of the day grain or roots arc 
given, provided tho time is uniform .—Practleal 
Shepherd. 
-■ ' — 
CauMlcN for Hoof-Rot.—Butyr of antimony, 
muriatic acid, sulphuric acid, nitric add, blue 
vitriol, burnt alum, &e., &c. Blue vitriol is im¬ 
measurably tho best application and mild caus¬ 
tic in the early stages of hoof-rot, as butyr of an¬ 
timony is lu later ones. 
