SOLON ROBINSON, 1845 461 



had often witnessed, but could not account for. He had 

 a negro boy — not a very remarkably bright one either — 

 about a dozen years old, who being stationed at the start- 

 ing point of the ditch, would start upon a smart trot 

 around the face of the hill, and when he had gone as 

 far as he thought necessary to strike a stake, he would 

 stop, and never four feet out of the way. Query, had 

 he a water level in his head? How can his leveling fac- 

 ulty be accounted for? I wish some political levelers 

 had as happy a faculty of always being right. 



When the line is thus staked off, the same boy walks 

 back upon his track, picking up the stakes, while the 

 overseer guiding a horse drawing a slightly marking 

 plow held by another hand, follows on, and thus makes 

 the line of the ditch for the big plow that follows, and 

 in turn is followed by hands with hoes until the ditch 

 is completed. 



The alteration that I would recommend in this instru- 

 ment, would be to substitute a spirit level for the plumb 

 line, as on a windy day the line is too much affected. 



This level upon hilly land is much preferable to the 

 rafter level, and is as easily made. 



As before remarked, the rows have to conform to the 

 ditches, however crooked, and the manner of plowing is 

 to lay off the rows in the first instance, the middles often 

 being left unbroken until after the corn is planted, and 

 perhaps up. Captain Eggleston's plan is to plow deep 

 directly under the corn, and plow shallow while tending 

 the growing crop. His motto is to plow deep for all 

 crops. He assures us that since he has adopted the level 

 system of ditching and plowing, that in addition to the 

 advantage to the land, that his crops are better and the 

 soil improving instead of deteriorating. 



All of his mechanical work is done by his negroes 

 upon his plantation. He has two negro carpenters that 

 he occasionally hires out to others at the rate of $40 

 apiece per month. He estimates that he has ten miles 

 of plantation roads, and 20 miles of rail fence, more than 



