appears in a herd it runs through it and every 
cow is in danger of aborting. This gives us at 
once a clue to the character of this dreaded 
disease. It is contagious, and we have learned 
most conclusively from the investigations and 
discoveries in animal physiology and path¬ 
ology that contagious disorders a» e pjoduced 
by infection from a special germ whose pre¬ 
sence and growth in special organs produce 
special and peculiar developments of diseases. 
But there are two kinds of abortion ; one is 
sporadic or occasional, and may tie due to 
accidental circumstances or to some prevalent 
condition which is generally active in an 
animal or in a- whole herd, or iti a locality - 
these may be called external and enzootic or 
internal causes; the other is Epizootic and 
infectious, and, once appearing in a herd, will 
go through it, an<l will even infect a fresh 
herd brought into the stable, if no precautions 
for disinfection are used. 
Sporadic or occasional abortion may be due 
to the following, very common causes: 1, sud¬ 
den changes of the weather from warm to 
wet aud cold, by which the animal is chilled , 
a sudden frosty night following a warm, damp 
day has been found specially productive ol 
abortion in cows aud sheep that have been 
exposed out-of-doors: 2, food of bad oi indi¬ 
gestible kinds, or food damaged by the pre¬ 
sence of fungous growths, as mold, smut, rust, 
oi’ orgot, which is (juito its ooujjuuii upuiisoHi© 
grasses, as Timothy, Foxtail* etc., as upon x y®- 
On the other hand, excessively rich food 
which largely increases the supply of blood 
and also milk in the cow, will readily produce 
congestion of the uterus and a loosening of the 
placenta from its connections, and its immedi¬ 
ate discharge along with the fietus. 4. Very 
toms, some of which latter are not at all suited 
to its growth. The plant springs spontaneous¬ 
ly on limestone clays, and thrives on fields 
that have been badly farmed and worn into 
gullies. These lands seem to be much improv 
ed while producing the Locust crop; perhaps 
the fallen leaves of this legume may contribute 
to this end, but the result, from whatever 
cause, is a close sod of Poa pratensis, the 
famous Kentucky Blue-Grass. In the Blue- 
Grass region these two plants are always 
found together. 
The tree is not confined to the limestoue 
clays, however, as it may be seen on the 
sandstone ridges of parts of the Allegbanies in 
Pennsylvania, hut it does not there attain 
large size; whereas n, 
in the limestone val- 
leys of Lancaster \ k 
and other counties Sr.' \ 
east of those moun- w 
tains, it becomes a W 
valuable crop that feSy'imil 
should receive mere Mil ii /v 
attention from the 
fanners of that 
State. On portions 
of the Atlantic 'OTp' W j-i 
coast, notably on J{®. I | 
the drifts of New pflff'' ill 14 
Jersey, and on Long jpM u!' | 
Island, on both sides 
of the estuary of the , fi 
Hudson River, it 
has proved a most 
valuable tree, giv- 
ing very satisfiac- 
tory returns to its/v JH’ / ,’ r \ w 
owners. When Vj p4 v f/. fv* 
planted on our e- f/ ■ 
western prairies, ** 
it has not gen- ' 
erally proved re- Fl °- 
munerative, because of the injuries inflicted 
by the borer, but it may be seen planted be¬ 
side many a prairie homestead, where it has 
escaped this injury, aud has formed beautiful 
trees of considerable size. On the hills of the 
Ohio River, where it grows spontaneously, 
there are many trees of great size, attaining 
occasionally a diameter of thiee and four feet. 
These old patriarchs do not furnish such good 
lumber, however, as those of younger age 
the fibers seem to lose a part of their famous 
strength, and the logs often become defective 
and are invaded by a fungous growth that 
destroys their usefulness. Neither do such 
setting one plant every four feet. This opera¬ 
tion with yearling trees is very cheaply per¬ 
formed, as the roots cau be put into the cleft 
made by a spade at the intersections and the 
earth pressed to them with the foot. Culti¬ 
vate well for two or, at most, three Summers, 
and the trees will shade the ground sufficiently 
to take care of themselves and t» keep down 
the weeds : the planter has nothing to do but 
to wait, enjoying their thrifty growth, aud 
anticipating his rich harvest that will yield 
biin large returns at the end of two or three 
decades. 
Thinnino and Trimming are operations 
that need give little concern, for natural 
causes will do all that is required for the future 
forest. Being set thus thickly, they will be 
forced up to reach the sun and air, and the 
side branches will fall off of themselves. 
Some plants will outgrow their fellows which 
soon succumb to this treatment and die, when 
they may be out as needed for bean poles or 
other use, and the surplus furnishes the best 
stove wood, making an extremely hot lire. As 
the trees become larger, when others die from 
over-crowding, they may be cut for hop-poles, 
temperature ot the foetus, liUvS been Known to 
cause abortion. So, too, feeding upon frozen 
herbage or succulent food—as mangels or 
turnips—of a very low temperature, has caused 
it. The latter is very frequent with sheep 
that are fed upon large and watery roots that 
have been grown by the use of concentrated 
fertilizers. 5. Foul water is also a lie ,uent 
cause, and this has been known to be the pie- 
disposing cause of an outbreak of epizootic 
abortion in a large herd of which 70 cows 
aborted out of 72. Putrid water is filled with 
the special germs of decomposition, which, 
gaining access to the blood, find their way 
chiefly to those parts of the system where the 
circulation is most active, aud are most effec¬ 
tive where the system is most sensitive and 
easily affected. In a pregnant cow this is pre¬ 
cisely the uterus and the immature fort us, the 
latter of which, becoming decomposed by the 
action of the iufocting germs, is expelled as a 
natural effort at relief from the morbid matter. 
(5, Unusual muscular action or exertion, and 
a cramped and unnatural position held during 
a continued time and by which the fetus is 
in |Ured by compression, are frequently found 
productive of this disease. In one case where 
cows had to mount a steep passage-way to 
their stable, they all aborted; aud it is well 
known that the disease is more frequent in 
stables where the COWS are crowded in stan¬ 
chions than where they are kept 
loose hi roomy stalls, or arc per¬ 
mitted much freedom of motion. 
7. Unusual nervous excitement or 
llPV fear, as attacks by dogs, or auuoy- 
auce by the presence of other cows 
in heat, and the violent straining 
caused by leaping or being leaped 
. v *. ^ upon, or by assaults and injuries 
l ^ from the horns of their compau- 
m ions. These arc all external causes. 
|||| The internal or enzootic causes 
■' include: 1. Excessive plethora or 
! • fatness of the internal organs, by 
which the healthful action is pre- 
P "" jP vented and the death of the foetus 
is induced, 2. Excessive stimula 
tiou, during pregnancy, of the 
milking organs which have a very 
close sympathy with those of reproduction, the 
same artery supplying the blood to both. o. 
The most frequent of this class of causes is 
internal disease of the cow ; lung diseases 
causing disturbed respiration ;*fevors causing 
excessive and Latul heat of the betus; or coji- 
stituciouul weakness causing a fatul loss of 
heat: tuberculosis aud scrofula are also pro¬ 
ductive causes; and disease or want of vigor ol' 
the male animal from over-work has also been 
known to produce this disease in the cows. 
The treatment proper for this kind of 
abortion is preventive and remedial. Preeau 
tions should bo takeu to avoid the conditions 
younger, but ui e brash and at the same time 
rough and splintery. They may be sawed, 
however, into lumber that is valuable lor 
door-sills, cellar-window frames, and they are 
valued for architectural uses wlieie the wood¬ 
work is exposed to transibious of wet and dry. 
The har.Iness of locust lumber and its dura¬ 
bility give it great value for the steps of tur¬ 
bine water wheels. For this purpose, how¬ 
ever, only young trees, perfectly sound, are 
selected. For this use locust has no equal 
among our woods, unless it be Madura Usage 
Orange. In a couutry destitute of pav ing 
stones, short sections or blocks of locust may 
meat; being hard and durable they resist the 
wear and crushing of the wheels. 
On referring to the excellent paper of the 
Hon. A. T. Drummond, describing the timber 
trees of the Dominion of Canada, and consult 
ing his map, on which the northern limits of 
the several species are traced, there appears 
no mention of the Black- Locust, from which 
it might be inferred that this plant is not a 
native. Be this as it may, the tree is to be 
seen quite frequently about habitations, where 
it seems to thrive well and to withstand the 
rigors 
well and to withstand the 
of the climate, so that its culture may 
safely be undertaken iu the beautiful inter- 
lacustrine plateau of Ontario. 
A correspondent of the Rural, living in 
that section, lately asked how the Locust wall 
oompare with the Larch or the Black-Walnut. 
As to the latter, he must remember that he is 
situated upon the very northern limit of this 
tree; though his ‘ low-lymg land,” if very 
rich, might be well suited to the rather fastiil 
ious Walnut, aud he should also bear in mind 
that for profit, how valuable soever the lum 
ber may become in the future, the rotation is 
too fong, being up in the centuries. 
As to Larch, the presumption is that he re¬ 
fers to the European species, which requires 
an elevated position for its site, even if on a 
poor, dry, hungry, but well drained soil, to 
yield its valuable timber. 
The Black- Locust has been introduced into 
the Province of Ontario, and may be seen 
about habitations in many places, apparently 
doing wed, but for those who contemplate 
planting their ‘ Mow-ly ing lands”with trees, the 
noble American Elm or the mis named White- 
Cedar, the Western Arbor-vitae (Thuja occi- 
dentalis), would seem to be more promising 
forest plants. What can surpass the glorious 
White-Pine as a timber tree. 4 
Insects are sometimes troublesome, especially 
the borer (Clitus pietus), but they chiefly affect 
single trees and those on the outside of the 
ulantation, exposed to the suu. 
THE DAIRY COW. 
HENRY STEWART, 
Abortion. 
The most injurious and provoking trouble 
that the dairyman has to contend with is 
abortion in bis cows. The more valuable the 
herd in most cases, the more frequent is the 
loss of calves from this mysterious disorder. 
A cow apparently iu perfect health is found 
to have dropped her calf prematurely aud 
before the milk orgaus are in condition to be 
productive, so that not only is the calf lost 
but the season’s milking is lost with it. But 
worse remains behind. When this disease 
Price of Milk in New York City.—A 
correspondent from Whippany, Morris Co., N. 
J., objects to the statement made in the Ru¬ 
ral’s market reports that the average price 
