248 



FARMERS' REGISTER— MANAGEMENT OF SLAVES. 



plaster, to prevent birds from taking it up. As 

 Boon as the corn gets up, tlie ploughs throw back 

 the ridge by running the bar next to the coin, the 

 hoes ibilow ciller and clean it out. We then "half 

 liill," by ploughing every other row, with the 

 mould board next to and as near the corn as pos- 

 Bible; the hoes follow after, and earth the corn 

 where the ploughs have failed to do it. We then 

 hill by ploughing the rows that were-lefi after the 

 manlier of half hilling. This is the plan that I 

 have heretotbre pursued, but the results have been 

 BO unsatisfactbrj", that I shall for the future aban- 

 don it, tor soma other. I like the plan of plough- 

 ing corn both ways the best: it is better suited to 

 our convenience, most productive, and less injuri- 

 ous to the soil, unless in broken or very low land, 

 wliere the land is injured by washing, or the land 

 requires high ridging in order to prevent the water 

 from overMowing it. I think I have had a good 

 opportunity, of fair!}'^ testing the difference of the 

 two systems. I- generally allov/ my overseer a small 

 piece of land for his family to cultivate on the farm 

 where I live: he cultivates it after his plan of 



Sloughing both ways, and to my surprise his corn 

 as year after year been decidedly better than 

 mine, though his land is no better, if indeed as 

 good, and he seems to do his work with much 

 more ease. But his is after the ancient order of 

 laying off the corn four feet apart each way, with 

 but one grain of corn in the hill; and better pro- 

 portions I think might be ado])ted, and yet plough 

 both ways. Ishallnot attempt to enter into the 

 inquiry which of all the various systems of cul- 

 tivating corn that are practiced with us is best. 

 One thing is very certain, they cannot all be the 

 best; and there is no stronger proof of the deep 

 obscurity under which agriculture is laboring, than 

 to see all its votaries pursuing diflerent courses to 

 arrive at the same destination. 



You ask for information on the state of the crops 

 generally; the corn and oat croi-s here, (for they 

 are all that our farmers grow) are deciiledly more 



fromiBing than 1 remember of ever seeing them, 

 f no accident happens it will be a year of jubilee 

 with us, a new er-a in this generation, that Nor- 

 folk county will make corn enough to supply her- 

 self, and perhaps some to spare. 



A. e, FOREMAN. 



Oy THE MANAGEMENT OF SLAVES. 

 To the Editor of the Farmers' Bcijister. 



Prince Edioard County, 9th July, 1834. • 



In a country depending principally upon slave 

 labor for its agricultural operations, as is the case 

 with a large portion of Virginia and the Southern. 

 States generally, it would seem that a system for 

 the general aiid minute management, in detail, 

 of slaves, to be introduced into general use and 

 practice, would be a desideratum in the economy 

 of the country, most devoutl}^ to be wished for; 

 and which, so far as my observation has extended, 

 has been as little attended to, and perhaps as little 

 seriously thought of, as any subject of the least 

 consequenre, either in political or rural economy. 

 The introduction of any such system, howsoever 

 maniieeted its advantages might be made to ap- 

 j)ear, I am very sensible would be attended with 

 extreme diflilculty, and counteracted by such pow- 

 erful opposing intej-ectE, that a moral certainty ex- 



ists, that no such system can ever be introduced, 

 but by the combined agency and influence of a 

 very large portion of -the most judicious and res- 

 pectable gentlemen (and ladies too)in the country. 

 The causes operating to obstruct the introduction 

 of such a system, arc probably much more numer- 

 ous than it has been my lot to observe: and even 

 such as have received a very large portion of my 

 serious consideration for years, are more numerous 

 than might be proper for me to attempt to intro- 

 duce in detail, into a communication of this nature, 

 unadorned with tlie grace and perspicuity which 

 a.lone can attract the serious and favorable consi- 

 deration of the great body of your readers. 



My present object is merely to invite your atten- 

 tion, to the subject, with a view to draw out others 

 who may do it more justice than I possibly can, 

 and to obtain tlie result of the observations and 

 opinions of thinking people, through the medium 

 of the Register, which being brougiit into general 

 view, may result in combined efforts for the adop- 

 tion of some such general system of slave man- 

 agement, and some such uniform manner of treat- 

 ing and providing for slaves generally, ae the 

 circumstances of the countiy will enable us to 

 adopt, having reference "principally to the agricul- 

 tural interest of the country — which I feel assured 

 would ultimately prove equall}^ beneficial to all the 

 honest classes of^ society, even so to those who 

 would most strenuously oppose the introduction of 

 such a system. Having introduced the subject, it 

 might with propriet}' be expected I should be the 

 fit'st to publish my reasons for believing that such 

 a system would be attended with benefit to the 

 counti^', and to expose the existing evils growing 

 out of the want of unifbrmity in the treatment and 

 management of slaves. I should have no objec- 

 tion to do so. howsoever imperfectly the task might 

 be perfoi'med, did I not in trulh believe, that there 

 are in the country, no inconsiderable number of 

 abler hands and wiser heads, who can if they will, ' 

 commence and carry forward a course of reasoning 

 upon the subject, and introduce facts and argu- 

 ments, in a manner much more beneficial to the 

 public, than I possibly can; it being my opinion 

 that a good start, in any business, gives generally 

 the best prospects for ultimate success. 



I will however suggest, that the intercourse, 

 trading and dealing whh slaves, which, to some 

 extent, is too generally practiced and indulged in 

 by free people, and in many cases by white people 

 of unexceptionable general character, is probably 

 an evil which has done more mischief to the slave 

 population of the country, to the morals of both 

 slaves and free people, and to the interests of the 

 slave owners, and consequently to the agricultural 

 prosperity of the country, than any other cause 

 that has ever borne upon this subject. To do 

 justice in portraying the mischiefs arising from this 

 single cause, even if I were able to . do it, would 

 pro'!)ably take more time and space, than would 

 here be profitably employed. It renders the slave 

 independent in a great measure of his master, 

 thoughtless of, and careless in the perfbrmance of 

 every iluty, inattentive to, and even destructive to 

 every intci'est of his owner, and only attentive to 

 the means of carrying on his traffic, spending his 

 nights in toilsome roving, and in debauchery, and 

 from these causes, his days in a stupid inactive 

 and utterly inefficient course of half performed 

 labor, terriiinating too fi'equently in actual dis- 



