348 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



turning under green vines. He has one field that has 

 been cultivated upwards of 100 years. This is upon the 

 bank of the river. The "old, brick house," memento of 

 the Revolutionary War, stands in this field, and which 

 has been preserved with so much care, is now about to 

 yield to old age and crumble into a shapeless mass of 

 brick and mortar. 



There is one thing about the work upon this planta- 

 tion, that might be imitated to advantage upon some 

 others; and that is, a personal superintendence of the 

 owner, and the use of good tools. The No. 15 plow is the 

 one most preferred. He has some very good Ayreshire 

 cattle, which show to excellent advantage alongside of 

 the natives of that region. He also raises some good 

 colts ; but don't find raising hogs and making pork to be 

 profitable, principally because he cannot rear pigs, which 

 is owing to a most unconquerable love that the negroes 

 have for fresh pork. 



His plan of clothing his negroes struck me as some- 

 thing new. He buys the cloth, and hires the "piney- 

 woods people" to make it up. Not because his own people 

 might not just as well do it, but because the poor, white 

 women around are willing to work, and need the pay. He 

 has upon the place, 220 negroes. I give the amount of 

 his annual expenses for several years, by way of compari- 

 son with other places heretofore given. 



Year Year 



1844, $4,225 1847, $4,847 



1845, 3,467 1848, 3,690 



1846, 4,923 



This, it will be seen, is very greatly less than a Louisiana 

 sugar plantation; so that a much smaller crop may still 

 leave as large a surplus. 



I have no room to describe the many beautiful paint- 

 ings and statuary that adorn the mansion, but I must say 

 that the literary visitor will find here one thing to admire, 

 which is too often missing from gentlemen's houses, both 



