By this it is seen that in Herkimer county the average yield is thirty-five per cent greater than in Geauga county, and that the average yield of the latter is ten per cent more than the average quantity obtained in the whole State of New York.

As between the counties of Herkimer and Geauga, this comparison must be taken as nearly accurate. The inspection was made in the same manner in both counties, in part in each by the same person, and, as was stated last year, inspectors were directed to make reference to the books of cheese factories whenever desirable. It may also be here mentioned that both gentlemen expressed themselves under obligations to the proprietors of factories for the facilities afforded them in taking notes from their books. In the case of the State of New York, there are, of course, many districts in which the dairy is of a very subordinate consideration, and in which but little care is taken to collect the dairy products.

Very great differences exist between individual cows, as well as between breeds, with regard to the amount of milk which they will yield; and if it could be shown that the cows of Herkimer county were a very superior race, better fed and better cared for than those in Geauga county, it might, with some propriety, be assumed that the above difference in the yield of milk is due to a natural difference between the local breeds. That, however, will not hold as between the cows of Herkimer county and those of the remainder of the State of New York (it is unnecessary to cite authorities on this point, it is a matter of too common observation); and, as between Geauga county, and Herkimer county, Dr. Swan's evidence is clear, and directly opposed to the assumption of the superiority of the Herkimer county cows over those of Geauga county. This gentleman, as has already been stated, was a careful inspector of the towns of Newport and Fairfield, in Herkimer county, in 1868, and was, therefore, able to make a fair comparison between the districts, and his instructions (before given) included observations on this point. He began inspecting August 18th, and writes: "I like the looks of the cows much. better than in Newport." On the 21st: "I saw several herds yesterday, and was surprised at the excellence of the stock. The cows are large; the bulls at one and a half to two years, are larger than two of the Newport bulls." On the 25th: "The more I see of the cows the more I am convinced of their superiority, as a race, over the Newport cows." A man said, to-day: "They ought to have good cows in New York, for they come here to buy." Another spoke up and said: "Yes, but we only sell our poorest."

On September 3d,

in reference to the manner in which the dairies are kept up, after describing which, he adds: "And it is these refuse cows that drovers take to New York, as you can't buy a man's best cow here." And an examination of the returns in the reports of 1867, from all the States above mentioned, shows no difference or peculiarity in the breed of cows. They are reported, in a large majority, as "natives," the remainder being "grades," in no marked difference of proportion between "Short Horns," "Alderneys" and "Ayrshires." As the evidence obtained by the commission, is opposed to the view that the cows of Herkimer county are of a superior quality, the question which would most naturally arise next, is, whether the Herkimer county cows are better fed. Reports were made on this point from every farm inspected, in the three years during which this investigation has been progressing, and the result of a careful examination thereof is against this view.

In the report of last year it was shown (page 33) that the farmers of Herkimer county were in the habit of milking their cows to as late a period, during pregnancy, as possible, and that this was the means by which the increased amount was obtained. The deleterious influence of this practice upon the progress of gestation was also considered there, in some detail, to which it is only necessary to refer now. But do not farmers, in districts where abortions are unknown, pursue the same plan? It has been found impracticable to obtain absolute statistics on this point. The exact date at which conception took place is oftentimes unknown, and no record as to the time at which milking ceased, is taken; but allowing farmers to state their views, those of Geauga county are found widely different from those in Herkimer county given last year. Dr. Swan states, August 19th: "They (the farmers) all speak of the necessity of letting the cows rest, and think they get more out of a cow, in the long run, by letting her run dry three months than to milk close." August 25th : "The cheese factories here are not owned by the farmers in joint stock, as in Newport, but by an individual who buys the milk out and out from the farmers, so much per gallon. A farmer told me that Mr. Randall, one of the factory men here, was urging farmers to sow corn for fodder, and feed it, and milk through the winter, saying they did it in New York State. The farmer said he thought a cow wanted rest, and it would be better for the farmers to dry off for three months at least; he thought they would be richer at the end of ten years, than if they milked eleven months." In his final report, summing up the observations of his inspection, he says: "This country is the

cheese district of the western reserve. The country is rolling, in some places very hilly, much more forest than in Herkimer county, New York. The soil has a large amount of clay. It is well watered, though not so well as Herkimer county; there being much more bottom land and more sluggish streams, the clay lessens in amount, and the country is better watered as we go further south. The almost universal custom is to let the cows run dry at least three months; all affirming that the cow needs rest, and that she comes out in the spring much better for it."

It is, therefore, evident, from the facts actually presented, as well as from the observations of the inspectors, as thus shown in comparing these two extensive cheese producing counties; in one where abortions do not prevail and in the other where they do, that the views expressed in the report of last year are in their most essential points sustained; one element, however, i. e., that of frequent removals, considered in Herkimer county to be a somewhat frequent exciting cause of the disease, has been found to exist, to a greater degree, in Geauga county; but this is a minor point, and must be considered as one of the class of simply exciting causes, as distinguished from the predisposing or constitutional cause.

The immediate exciting cause of an abortion may be one of many, all more or less accidental in their nature, but it became evident, as this investigation proceeded, that a disease, affecting so extensive a region of country, arising, as this did, only after the dairy business had come, in the course of years, to be the principal interest of the district, and which gradually extended itself as that interest increased, that some general predisposing or constitutional influence or influences was at the bottom, and that the various causes assigned on all sides were but indications of a tendency to the disease, which must not be confounded with the main element.

In the first year of the investigation the attention of the commission was mainly directed to influences affecting individual cows, but nothing positively pointing to a cause was arrived at, although immense progress was made in clearing away a mass of conflicting theories or opinions, which had previously presented themselves as important influences; against every one of which, however, more negative facts could be brought to bear than could be presented in its support. Still, even at this early stage of the investigation, indications of the practice of breeding prematurely were seen, but they could not then be classified in a manner to be made useful.

In the following year the attempt was made to discover influences

affecting farms, rather than cows; but still no positive reason could be found to account for the comparative immunity of one farm over another in the affected districts. The more definite form in which the inquiry, with regard to the age at which the heifers were bred from, was put, developed, however, the important fact of its very general early practice; and the increased average yield of milk, over that obtained from the cows throughout the State, who were of precisely the same breeds and cared for in the same way in other respects, indicated an additional injurious influence upon the reproductive process, which would directly react upon an animal already subjected to the labor of premature gestation found in both years to be exacted. It was then determined that whatever tendencies were at work to give rise to the disease were those of a predisposing nature, affecting the whole practice of dairying as carried on in the various districts inspected, and that in order to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion, the investigation must be carried to a comparison of districts.

The result of this last comparison is now before you, and the explanation of the manner in which those influences act, having been presented last year, it is unnecessary to enter upon them in more detail. And if, in the reports from time to time presented to your notice, but little reference has been made to many causes, which have been advanced by authorities having every right to consideration, it has not been because they did not have value in the mind of your commissioner, but because, after investigation, they were found to hold the secondary position, of being simply exciting or accidental in their action as affecting individual cows, and not predisposing causes, influencing whole districts.

The expenses of the commission have been as follows, viz.: Salaries of inspectors....

Current expenses of inspectors.

Printing.

Postage, stationery, etc. (estimated).

Traveling expenses of commissioner.

Total

$136 33

231 11

16 00

10 00

19 06

$398 50

The assistant inspectors, Dr. Benj. R. Swan and Mr. George A. Vanwagenen, were both very careful and interested in their duties, and it gives the commissioner great pleasure to acknowledge the value of their services.

Respectfully submitted,

W. H. CARMALT, M. D.,
Commissioner, &c.

APPENDIX.

The following table of the per centages of abortions on the farms in the town of Danube, for three successive years, is appended to show, first, the uncertainty of reappearance, and variability in amount of the disease on the same farm, in different years; and also (by further reference to the report for the year 1868) the relation between the quantity of ergot (claviceps purpurea-Tuls.) and abortions.

It is stated on page 8, of the report for 1868, that the list of per centages of abortions attached to table "E," is the record for the year ending April 1, 1868, but that the record for the following year must be procured in order to determine what influence the ergot reported had upon the abortions. This record has been obtained, and the results are found in the accompanying table, under the head of "Per centages of Abortions for the year ending April 1, 1869.”

By comparing this with table E, page 66, report for 1868, the true relation between the ergot and the abortions, in this town, is found. Your commissioner has been unable, after a careful examination thereof, to establish any constant relation between the amount of ergot and the frequency of abortions, but the latter occurs irrespective of the amount of ergot in the grasses constituting the hay.