The Constitutional. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1860-1861, 1860-08-20
AGRICULTURAL.


On reading the following query in the Valley
Farmer, it made but little impression upon us, as
We felt sure there must have been some other
.ause than the one assigned, of the loss Of the
winters hogs but since tina: time have had a
similar in every respect, that we deem it
proper TO eal tn, attention of our readers to the
fact
We bad put up three shOa;s TO consume the
sour milk, and vrgetsbc refuse from the kitchen
thy were of the same age and healthy, and the
very first time that JaIer-Jean hdis were put into
their trough the most voraciOus one of the three
IN the course Of three OF four hours was taken
with spaSms and laid in helpless condition until
night. We expected of course to find it dead in
the morning, but it was up and ready for its
breakfast, although it remains feeble, now some
two or three days since the attack. We are very
much disposed to attribute it to the butter-bean
bulls, as the food given was in no way different
from that daily given them, except the bean
bulls
And jus; here we think it proper to caution our
readers az aims, another DEADLY poison to cattle;
that il, cucumbers that have been kept in brine /;
every family should be cautious about throwing
them gu, where cattle will have access to them.
for if taken in largo quantities they will most
sssurcdly kill Err.
10 the Editors Of the TaLley Farmer:
WHAT KILLED TIE Cows--On tho 9th of
Sept 1859, put two young healthy hogs for
early use, in a clean pen, quite large too, IL
I l6 feet, part fit sheltered. They continued
to do well until the 9Th of October, prox., when
on going to feed them about O'Clock p. ~ they
we're found lying down on their sides in dying
state, and, when moved, not able or disposed to
struggle the least Now when fed in the morning
which did myself, these hogs were to all APP
pcsrances perfectly WE'LL but at this time q
o'clock p. NJ were lying relaxed, but breathing
rather short, and exhibited no signs Of having
struggled at any time. No frothng at the mouth
no swelling in any part that could discern; no
arrangement of the bowels (by any external
sign) nor anything unusual, except that the
hogs were dying and did die in about half ali
hour, both Of thom nearly at the same time.
As was confident had no wckedly disposed
person about my premises, was exceedingly
HuLLltu, III
10 help mo open them. We examined almost
every part, but my neighbor thought all looked
healthy bnt the small CUTS; they contained but
little excroment, and in some places had thickened
and become whitsh, were corrugated, fattcncd
and entirely empty at these places.
These hogs were fed principally on tho grow
ing crop Of corn, with occasionally some green |
articles from the kthen, and plenty of good wa |
irr. In dry trough little salt was occasionally |
gwen taem- and into this the evening before |
some butter-bean huls had been thrown After |
ihc hogs died mentioned to several of my Neigh |
bors the case, but none could account for it till
lady friend in whose judgment have great
confidence suggested that they must have been
killed by casing butter-bcan 'hulls-that her
husband had lost two or three from eating them
Mine, at the tia,e I saw them, exhibited no
symptoms Of choking, and 10 symptoms of it on
examination after death. They could not have
eaten many Of them either, ~ ! found very little
green food in the stOmachs, and probably they
would not have eaten them but for their contact
with the salt in the trough which perhaps render
ell them more palatablc. / do not think therefore
that my hogs were chokod, and did not me ntion
10 my lady i,n1 that butter bean hulls had been
thrown to them till after she had suggested it. 1t
u remarkable, however, that the hogs in both
cnscs died soon after eating them. Is ii possible
that poison to hogs mny be generated out Of
butcr-bcan hulls in the stomach
had not enough hogs left to admit Of trying
the experiment upon more at the time. | believe
also that tho beans were shortly after too dry to
tempt them, bad been so disposed ! hope
somebody will tho coming season, for if they did
not kill my hogs, am perfectly at a loss to &C
count for IT.
7. X. J. AYERS.
Near Monticello, Lewis Co, no.