THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



327 



died. This occurred for three years. Since, he 

 has continued the fattening of cows so fed (if not 

 already quite fat,) and killed them for heef. 



Mr. H. is sure of the " clay" and the yellow 

 " cow" pea being different kinds — though generally 

 supposed to be the same — and he deems that the 

 "clay" pea is safe, and (as is generally believed) 

 the " cow" pea more dangerous ffor stock, than any 

 other known pea. ( When hungry cattle eat plenti- 

 fully of the cow pea, especially, and then drink, 

 the peas swell, and the animals suffer with colic, 

 or die. 



65. Mr. Nixon says it is a prevailing opinion that 

 the peas on certain spaces of land, are much more 

 likely to cause disease or death to cattle, than other 

 lands — and without any cause being suspected. 

 He thinks that the peas of a particular field of his 

 own farm were more dangerous to cattle than of 

 any other part of his land. Peas are more likely 

 to be hurtful to cattle when the plants are first 

 killed by frost. 



66. Mr. Hanson, of Sumter county, Florida, 



thinks that in his country (where peas are exten- 

 sively grown, and fed upon by stock,) no danger 

 or damage occurs to hogs or cattle on pea-fields, 

 provided the animals are never turned in when hun- 

 gry. His land, hammock, lies high generally, and 

 does not need draining. 



67. Mr. James Ruffin, formerly of Marengo, Ala- 

 bama, planted on the highly calcareous and rich 

 black land of that county. Both his hogs and cat- 

 tle, grazing on peas, died to such extent, that he 

 ceased such grazing entirely, and even to plant 

 peas, (as he supposed they could not be safely used 

 there for stock,) for ten years before he left that 

 country. It was the general understanding, there, 

 that the grazing of peas on the calcareous (or prai- 

 rie and cane-brake) lands, was always dangerous, 

 and often fatal to cattle and hogs, while on the 

 sandy [and non-calcareous] soils there was no dan- 

 ger or injury to stock. 



68. Mr. Thomas M. Johnston, of Greene, Alaba- 

 ma, cultivates on the black cane-brake and calca- 

 reous land of that region. Peas do not there pro- 

 duce as well in seed as on the sandy soils. Some 

 15 years ago, he first began to plant largely, and of 

 a reddish pea, there called " Tory," and grazed 

 after corn was removed. Late in winter, and when 

 the pea provender was comparatively scanty, some 

 of the cattle died, and as he supposed from feeding 

 on the pea crop. The others, which did not die, 

 did not seem to be in any way hurt by the like 

 feeding. The hogs, also grazing, were not known 

 to have received any damage. The injury to the 

 cattle caused the pea-culture to be then suspended. 

 Some length of time after, he heard stated what 

 his informant believed to be sure means for avoid- 

 ing all injury to stock, which consisted in fully 

 feeding every animal before its being turned at any 

 time on a pea-field. Thus encouraged, he again 

 (three years ago,) planted peas largely, a black 

 kind. In January the stock began again to die, 

 and lie lost soon after, and as supposed entirely 

 from this cause, and with all the precaution advised, 

 42 store hogs, and 22 head of cattle. Fearing in- 

 jury, he did not let the hogs for slaughter go on 

 the peas at all. None of the others died until in 

 January. Since then, he has raised peas only as 

 food for his negroes — and on the remains of such 

 small quantities, his stock have not received any 

 injury. He has abandoned pea- raising for feeding 

 stock, deeming it, for him, altogether unsafe. 



69. Mr. Jas. W. Cotton, of Halifax, N. Oarolina, 



cultivates light (or sandy) land. Some years ago, but 

 for one year only, raised the cow-pea, which is ten- 

 der, and soon rots after rain. The hogs for slaugh- 

 ter had been before penned, and well fed (on corn) 

 and were nearly fat, when turned upon the pea- 

 field. After 10 or 12 days only, and in December, 

 the hogs were declining. On examination, the peas 

 in the field were found to be generally rotting, ox 

 already rotted. The hogs were immediately re- 

 moved, and penned as before, and again fed abun- 

 dantly on corn. Nevertheless, they continued to 

 decline for some time longer, before recovering 

 their lost flesh and health, which all did afterwards, 

 to some extent, but not fully. He next planted a 

 black pea, of which the grain or seeds produced 

 were remarkably hard, and would not rot through- 

 out all winter, or by remaining wet. The stock 

 did not like these peas, and ate of them with ap- 

 parently little relish — but were kept on the food 

 through all winter, and until nearly all the peas 

 were eaten. No loss, or sickness, of either hogs or 

 "cattle occurred. Still, this black pea, though found 

 safe, was very unproductive in seed, and was aban- 

 doned as soon as a preferable kind was obtained. 

 This was the "clay" pea — and which though in 

 appearance it is much like the tender and easily 

 rotting cow (or buff') pea, is a very different kind! 

 in other respects. The clay pea is of a paler yel- 

 low (or buff) color than the cow pea. The " clay 57 

 was rather later than either the "cow" or the 

 " Bass" pea — but has been since forwarded by his- 

 saving seed every year from the earliest ripened 

 pods. It is a good vine-bearer, and usually the 

 most productive of seed known. On a field of 200 

 acres of corn and peas of this kind, after gathering 

 the corn, he turned in (December) 100 hogs to be 

 fattened for slaughter, and all his cattle and mules. 

 No care or safeguard used, except to have enougfe 

 water for the stock, and several accessible and good 

 watering places. As usual when on peas, the fat- 

 tening hogs had also a little corn eveiy day, and 

 were often salted. When fully fat, and removed 

 and killed, the remaining store hogs, about 150, 

 were first turned upon the field, and remained un- 

 til March, when the land was ploughed and sown 

 in oats. At that time, the ground was still covered 

 with sound peas, much more in quantity than 

 enough for seeding the land. The store hogs were 

 then fat — and after being then removed, no dwin- 

 dling or marks of disease were found. But he al- 

 ways feeds his store hogs every day with corn, (ex- 

 cept when on the pea-field,) and thus maintains 

 their good condition. 



Mr. Cotton had heard of both hogs and cattle 

 dying, and in large proportion of the whole num- 

 ber, by feeding on a field of black-eye peas — a 

 white and very tender kind, which rots easily and 

 quickly. 



He had heard that hogs were especially liable to 

 disease (of the kidneys,) when feeding on a pea- 

 field in wet weather, and were safe in dry weather. 

 After an uncommonly dry feeding time, when 

 slaughtering his hogs, then fat, and apparently 

 healthy and in best condition, he directed the par- 

 ticular negroes who gutted the carcasses to examine 

 the kidneys of all. In every case, they were found 

 to be inflamed, and generally wormy. Ho^s thus 

 affected, if not killed, but kept through another 

 year, as store hogs, he thinks would have become 

 more diseased. At another time of killing, after a 

 remarkably wet December, while the hogs were on 

 the pea-field, none of their kidneys were found 

 diseased. 



