326 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



few to be worth digging and collecting, and also so 

 extremely hard as to be almost worthless as ma- 

 nure, unless burnt, or otherwise reduced to powder. 

 Accidentally, a small quantity of these collected 

 nodules had been left by Dr. Morton in a pile in 

 his stock yard where the winter's manure was to 

 be made. After its ordinary and partial fermenta- 

 tion, it was removed in the spring; and the calca- 

 reous lumps had then become so reduced that if 

 they had not been known, and searched for, they 

 would not have been discovered or observed. 



58. This fact, very recently stated by Dr. M. 

 brought to my recollection another like fact which 

 I read long ago in the old Edinburgh Farmers' Ma- 

 gazine — of a pile of hard shells being accidentally 

 covered by a heap of fermenting manure, and being 

 thereby so softened and reduced as to be suitable 

 for manuring. 



59. But the same operation of strongly ferment- 

 ing manure it seems may be brought to bear effect- 

 ively on the important and difficult subject of bones. 

 An anonymous but intelligent writer, in the New 

 England Farmer, reports the following experiment 

 of his neighbor Mr. Edward Willis, near Marshfield, 

 Massachusetts : " Taking a quantity of bones, none 

 of them perhaps larger, and most of them smaller 

 than a man's two lists, he made a good layer of 

 fresh horse-manure, on which he placed a layer of 

 bones, then another layer of manure, then a layer 

 of bones, and so on to the top, covering the heap 

 over well with the manure. It lay somewhat longer 

 than he intended, and was allowed to become some- 

 what fire-fanged. But the bones were utterly de- 

 composed, disintegrated and dissolved — so that the 

 whole heap had become a homogeneous mass, and 

 you could not even detect any bones in it." Now 

 if this statement is true, (which I have no reason 

 to doubt,) it was by the aid of the process of hot 

 fermentation that the bones were so completely 

 dissolved. I know that they are not sensibly af- 

 fected (in my own practice of burying dead ani- 

 mals in manure,) when there is no heat of fermen- 

 tation. The disintegrating effect, above stated, was 

 not promoted by the manure being allowed to " fire- 

 fang" — but, if not completed before, would have 

 been checked by " fire-fanging." This effect is 

 caused by want of enough moisture; and when 

 fully produced, the fermentation is stopped, as well 

 as the manure being much damaged. Proper wa- 

 tering of the heap would have prevented dryness 

 and this damage, and would have maintained fer- 

 mentation longer and more equably, and been better 

 in all respects. — E. R. 



Green Corn as Forage. 



60. Mr. Edmund J. Plowden, of St. Mary's, Ma- 

 ryland, in a visit to Cuba last year, found that In- 

 dian corn, sown broad-cast, or planted so thickly 

 as not to form ears, and the plants cut off when 

 well in tassel, and later, made the chief and usu- 

 ally the sole food of horses, mules, and other ani- 

 mals, and of those at work, and when travelling, 

 as well as when standing. This provender, green 

 and newly cut, was brought to Havana, on the 

 backs of pack-mules, (no wheel carriages being in 

 use for transportation from or on the plantations,) 

 and also was used as food generally in the country, 

 so far as he travelled, and observed, or learned by 

 his inquiries. He heard of horses and mules, tra- 

 velling far and well on this provender alone. 



The Facts, and Causes, of Injury to Animals from 

 Eating Peas. 



61. [It is a prevalent though disputed opinion in 



the Southern States, and held by many experienced 

 planters, that the feeding of hogs and other live 

 stock on pea-fields, is frequently and generally, 

 though at uncertain times, injurious and sometimes 

 fatal to the feeding stock. In particular, as to 

 hogs — though the general practice of beginning 

 the fattening of those for slaughter on the pea- 

 fields is free from all danger, and greatly benefi- 

 cial, yet it is believed that if the store (or stock) 

 hogs feed in like manner, they will generally be 

 diseased, (with worms or otherwise,) in the course 

 of the following year, and will be in general bad 

 condition, even if not actually dying from the con- 

 sequences of the feeding on the pea-field the pre- 

 vious winter. It is my purpose to collect facts or 

 opinions bearing on this question, from experienced 

 and judicious observers. — E. R.] 



62. Mr. James C. Johnston, of Edenton, North 

 Carolina, in former time has had cattle to die, and 

 hogs to become diseased, from grazing in his pea- 

 fields. There was then no care used to avoid such 

 ill effects, and the grazing was continued through 

 the whole winter, for the hogs to glean all the peas, 

 and the cattle to eat the dry remains of pea-vines 

 and the corn-shucks. The damage to cattle was 

 by their being gorged with peas, and this food 

 swelling in their stomachs. Latterly, cattle have 

 never been turned into a pea-field when with empty 

 stomachs, and eager for food — and with that pre- 

 caution only, no cattle have suffered, from (in other 

 respects) unlimited access to the pea-fields. 



The damage to hogs was different. They thrive 

 well and fatten fast, and suffer no damage, for some 

 weeks (say 4, or 5 at most,) on a pea-field. But if 

 continued longer, they are apt to become diseased, 

 and as believed, by having worms in the kidneys. 

 He has in latter years effectually guarded against 

 such and all damage, by removing the hogs, after 

 4 or 5 weeks — when they are nearly fattened on 

 the peas — and finishing the fattening with corn, of 

 those designed for slaughter that season. He does 

 not put sows having young pigs on the pea-field at 

 all — having observed that when removed (for safety) 

 afterwards to their usual woods range, they dwin- 

 dled and got in bad condition. 



63. Mr. F. Nixon, of Perquimons, agrees with 

 the views of Mr. Johnston. He also (in deference 

 to common opinion) has feared damage to his sows 

 and pigs, and tried to prevent their getting on the 

 pea-fields. But sometimes they could not be kept 

 out, and have fed on the pea-field until in winter, 

 and, as long as there remained enough food. No 

 damage to them ensued. Ascribes the injury pro- 

 duced to the hogs getting fat on peas, and then 

 being put on a comparatively stinted allowance of 

 food. He formerly had his live-stock, when grazing 

 on peas, to be sick, and die in some cases. But for 

 the last 10 years, has had no such loss, or material 

 injury. After a dry time, and then rain, the dry 

 remains of vines are thereby made more tender 

 and palatable, cows eat greedily, and are apt to 

 have colic. 



64. Mr. Whitmill Hill, of Halifax county, North 

 Calolina, concurs in the foregoing opinions. He 

 keeps ashes in water for his hogs in the pea-field — 

 and restricts their remaining to 5 or 6 weeks — but 

 always gives a little corn every day, which change 

 of food he deems important to their safety. Has 

 lost as few as on any other feeding. He grinds 

 peas and feeds the meal to milch cows in winter. 

 They become fat, (and do not therefore give less, 

 but the more milk,) but when put on com men scant 

 food, they pined and continued to decline until all 



