188 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



cattle upon his extensive back lands, and selling them for 

 beef at New Orleans. Some of those who thought he was 

 "spoiling his land by plowing it so deep," now look with 

 wonder upon his success. There are several persons above 

 Mr. P., who turn their whole attention to raising cattle; 

 and, in the course of my drive, I saw, at one place, a very 

 unusual appendage to the cattle yard. It was a well-con- 

 structed rack. I also saw a good many hogs, and some of 

 them as mean as well could be conceived of. 



Upon Mr. Thomas Maye's^ place, I saw the effects pro- 

 duced by a large crevasse some 40 years ago. The whole 

 surface, where it run, is in ridges, some of them six feet 

 high, made by deposit of the earth carried in solution in 

 the river water. This is so great that it has been thought 

 practicable, by some persons, to fill up the swamp back 

 of New Orleans, by letting the river flow through it, 

 which is to be done by confining it within proper bounds. 



Mr. M. lost his sugar house and 160 hogsheads of sugar 

 by fire last fall, from sparks falling upon the dry roof. 

 To prevent similar accidents, let a small pipe be attached 

 to the force pump and carried up and along the ridge of 

 the roof, letting out little jets of water every few feet. 

 This simple and cheap plan would have kept the roof wet 

 all the time, and prevented the present great danger, as 

 well as several others, which have occurred heretofore, 

 and are likely to occur again. I do not think the expense 

 would exceed $25, which might soon be saved in insur- 

 ance. 



Blackberries, plums, and peaches, are now in bloom; 

 Indian corn is planting ; and oats about three inches high. 

 The latter will be good to cut green in March, or for seed 

 in May. Corn is planted from January till May. Figs 

 grow so abundantly upon Mr. Maye's place, that his 

 negroes have all they can eat, which he considers very 

 healthy. 



^ Thomas May, owner of a modest sugar plantation in St. John 

 the Baptist Parish, on the west side of the Mississippi River, 

 forty-one miles above New Orleans. Used improved machinery. 

 Champomier, op. cit., 1849; Pike, Coast-Directory. 



