第43章 Chapter XII.(4)

　　As soon as the cotton and corn crops are secured， thestalks are pulled up， thrown into piles and burned. Theploughs are started at the same time， throwing up thebeds again， preparatory to another planting. The soil， inthe parishes of Rapides and Avoyelles， and throughoutthe whole country， so far as my observation extended， isof exceeding richness and fertility. It is a kind of marl，of a brown or reddish color. It does not require thoseinvigorating composts necessary to more barren lands，and on the same field the same crop is grown for manysuccessive years.

　　Ploughing， planting， picking cotton， gathering thecorn， and pulling and burning stalks， occupies the wholeof the four seasons of the year. Drawing and cuttingwood， pressing cotton， fattening and killing hogs， are butincidental labors.

　　In the month of September or October， the hogs arerun out of the swamps by dogs， and confined in pens.

　　On a cold morning， generally about New Year’s day， theyare slaughtered. Each carcass is cut into six parts， andpiled one above the other in salt， upon large tables in thesmoke-house. In this condition it remains a fortnight，when it is hung up， and a fire built， and continued morethan half the time during the remainder of the year. Thisthorough smoking is necessary to prevent the bacon frombecoming infested with worms. In so warm a climate itis difficult to preserve it， and very many times myselfand my companions have received our weekly allowance of three pounds and a half， when it was full of thesedisgusting vermin.

　　Although the swamps are overrun with cattle， theyare never made the source of profit， to any considerableextent. The planter cuts his mark upon the ear， orbrands his initials upon the side， and turns them intothe swamps， to roam unrestricted within their almostlimitless confines. They are the Spanish breed， small andspike-horned. I have known of droves being taken fromBayou Boeuf， but it is of very rare occurrence. The value ofthe best cows is about five dollars each. Two quarts at onemilking， would be considered an unusual large quantity.

　　They furnish little tallow， and that of a soft， inferiorquality. Notwithstanding the great number of cows thatthrong the swamps， the planters are indebted to theNorth for their cheese and butter， which is purchased inthe New-Orleans market. Salted beef is not an article offood either in the great house， or in the cabin.

　　Master Epps was accustomed to attend shootingmatches for the purpose of obtaining what fresh beefhe required. These sports occurred weekly at theneighboring village of Holmesville. Fat beeves are driventhither and shot at， a stipulated price being demandedfor the privilege. The lucky marksman divides the fleshamong his fellows， and in this manner the attendingplanters are supplied.

　　The great number of tame and untamed cattle whichswarm the woods and swamps of Bayou Boeuf， mostprobably suggested that appellation to the French，inasmuch as the term， translated， signifies the creek orriver of the wild ox.

　　Garden products， such as cabbages， turnips and thelike， are cultivated for the use of the master and hisfamily. They have greens and vegetables at all times andseasons of the year. “The grass withereth and the flowerfadeth” before the desolating winds of autumn in the chillnorthern latitudes， but perpetual verdure overspreads thehot lowlands， and flowers bloom in the heart of winter， inthe region of Bayou Boeuf.

　　There are no meadows appropriated to the cultivationof the grasses. The leaves of the corn supply a sufficiencyof food for the laboring cattle， while the rest provide forthemselves all the year in the evergrowing pasture.

　　There are many other peculiarities of climate， habit，custom， and of the manner of living and laboring atthe South， but the foregoing， it is supposed， will givethe reader an insight and general idea of life on acotton plantation in Louisiana. The mode of cultivatingcane， and the process of sugar manufacturing， will bementioned in another place.