The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1841-01-27


on corn, and will gravely sit down to CAL
culatc the cost of so many bushels at Sc
venty-ive or even fifty cents bushel, will
certainly come to an erroneous conclu-
sion. But those of US who Systematically
pursue the business of raising live stock,
can testify that the quantity of corn ne
cessary to raise hogs horses or mules, is
extremely inconsiderable. Oats, whether
harvested for the work horses and mules,
or used as pasturagc for STOCK hogs and
stock horses and mules, is an invaluable
crop for a cotton planter. That which is
used as pasturage, while it will cost only
the labor of preparing the ground and
seeding it, will keep all the stock in fine
ORDER from the middle of summer till the
opening of the pea fields, and these, which
cost scarcely any labor, will keep them in
like order, with very little aid from the
corn-crib, until December. From this
time regular feeding will be required for
about four months, and after that, very
little will suffice till the oat pastures are
again ready. In this view of the subject,
| have omitted many useful auxiliaries,
such as potatoes, pindars, peaches and ap-
pies, the two latter of which are often
permitted to rot on the ground, though ex-
ccllent food for hogs, and perhaps the
least expensive of all. Nor have | en-
braced in it the artificial grasses, though
l am quite sanguinc from an experiment
I now have in progress, that in most of
the strong soils in the upper country, blue
grass and herds grass will succeed very
nearly as well as they do in Kentucky
Upon the whole, then, 1t is my deliberate
opinion, founded upon my own expe-
rience and observation as planter, that
in South Carolina, and particularly the
upper country districts, it would be true
economy for the planters to raise their
own stock, even if they could buy Ken
lucky mules at fifty dollars head. But
let it be remembered that to accomplish
this, they must devote themselves to it as
an essential branch of their business. A
regular system must be adopted, and a
competent person be charged with its ex-
ecution; and overseers must be made to
know, that it is as much their duty to su-
perintend it, as the cultivation of the cot
ton crop; for hogs and horses can no more
thrive without proper attention. than corn
and cotton can grow without attention.
And it is worthy of remark, that when
hogs are fat or IN good growing order,
it requires not half so much food to keep
them in that condition, as it would require
to sustain poor hogs and prevent them from
growing poorer. 1t is, therefore, most
obvious rule of economy, never to permit
stock hogs to sink below what we de-
nominate a growing condition. The
corn that will be required to keep them in
that condition during four or five months
in the year, will be less than that which
would be required in extra feeding to pre-
pare poor hogs for the slaughter pen; and
at the same age, their weight will be fifty
per cent greater, and their flesh will be
much more firm, than those Of hogs
brought up in poverty and suddenly fat
tened. | am now speaking the actual re-
suit of my own experience, and have
been astonished to perceive how little corn
is required to prevent fat hogs from get
ting poor.
AS an important part of the branch of
economy we are now considering, every
planter should keep as large a stock of neat
cattle, and of sheep, as his pasturage and
the offal Of his plantation will support
To this extent, there is no description of
stock so valuable in proportion to the ex-
pense of maintaining them. Their flesh
is much cheaper than that of hogs, and
besides supplying the table of the planter
with an abundance of good beef, butter
and mutton, the former will advantage
ously supply one half of the plantation
ration of meat during the utumnalmonths;
and the latter, all the wool required for
clothing the negroes in winter. In addi-
ton to all this, it is the opinion of the most
experienced planters, in which | fully con-
cur, that where COWS are penned every
night on grounds properly covered with
litter, the manure they will make in the
course of the year, will very nearly dcfray
the expense of maintaining them.
have thus attempted to show that it is
the true interest of every planter to raise
all the live stock required for his own use,
and for the use and consumption of his
own plantation, though no one else should