140 



There is no such disease as bog cholera, and if you will send an intel- 

 ligent veterinary surgeon here, I will convince him. 



[There are several butterflies, example ColiaSj &c., which deposit their 

 eggs on clover, but these insects could not possibly do the hogs any in- 

 jury if introduced into their stomach with the food ; even if hatched 

 into worms, and able to resist the gastric juices, they would immedi- 

 ately die in the close, damp confinement ; they would also require green 

 clover to feed upon for at least some weeks before changing into the 

 I)upa state.] 



FARM STOCK IN ABBEVILLE COUNTY. 



AhheviUe Coiinty, South Carolina. — Ours is not a grazing .country, 

 and hence not a stock-growing country. In former years our people 

 raised hogs enough for a half supply of meat ; most of the farmers 

 kept a small flock of sheep for the family supi^ly of mutton ; kept a herd 

 of cattle for like supply of milk, butter, and beef; and also raised some 

 horses and mules. More recently, however, the raising of horses, mules, 

 sheep, and hogs has been generally given up, very much to the im- 

 pediment of the prosperity of the country. More attention is paid to 

 cattle than to the other animals. The cow yields a present and continu- 

 ing supply of food, and is not so liable to the raids of the vicious as the 

 hog and sheep. Fewer are, however, raised than in former years. 

 Owing to the drought of last summer, very little forage or cow-feed was 

 saved and put up ; no pease (the most valuable food for cows) was saved; 

 so that the cattle have been stinted all winter, and many of them have 

 died. Beef is now worth from twelve and one-half to fifteen cents per 

 pound ; we could formerly get as good at from six to eight cents. The 

 l)ork and bacon is now sent to us from the States north and west of us. 

 Working animals are for the most part brought from Tennessee and 

 Kentucky, and sold to our farmers and planters; and when here they 

 are so illy treated and neglected, that a large number of them die every 

 year. The result of this whole system (or want of prudent economy and 

 system) is that a drain is annually made upon the soil with but little re- 

 turn, which does and will make us a poor people until a change is made. 



STOCK-RAISING IN MONTANA. 



Gallatin Coimty, Montana Territory. — The fact that vast herds of cat- 

 tle have wintered in this Territory, solely bj plucking as they do in 

 summer the rich bunch grass and are now supplying our market with 

 beef as fat as could be desired, is hard to be credited by those who_ 

 have been accustomed to see the eastern markets supplied at this seasoi ' 

 by stall-fed beef only. Yet the fact remains. Sheep seem to thrive 

 equally well. 



THE FREED3IEN IN LOUISIANA. 



Ouachita County, Louisiana. — The freedmen are working "on shares;"] 

 they get on an average one-third of the crop, and are at no expense, (at ' 

 least they are offered this.) At the end of the year, however, in too 

 many cases, the planter brings in a bill for goods sold the laborer, which 

 takes up all his cotton ; the corn is generally sold to the planter or em- 

 ployer at a nominal price, and the poor negro commences a new year's 

 work without a cent. 



In the immediate neighborhood of Monroe (this place) many of the 



