270 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 5 



hands till lately accuptomed to the same manner 

 of working, I planted last year ten acres of cot- 

 ton and ten of corn, to the hand. I never had a 

 cleaner crop, and though the season was exces- 

 sively wet, niy negroes never performed their 

 tasks with greater ease. The cotton crop, seri- 

 ously injured bv the worm, yielded 800 lbs. to 

 the acre, and 8,000 lbs. to the liand. Mr. Frost's 

 land exceeded mine in productiveness, yet my 

 crop doubled his. His is considered so extraor- 

 dinary, that it is held up as an argument against 

 emigration — mine, was an ordinary crop, nearly 

 doubled by many of my neighbors. But the 

 question to be solved, is, how is the difference in 

 the results obtained? 



It is unquestionably true, that the soil and cli- 

 mate of the west, is better adapted to the growth 

 of cotton — that here, a plant of the same size, 

 and on a soil of equal strength, will send forth 

 and retain a greater number of pods, than upon 

 the sea-board. It is equally true, that the grass 

 will grow as rapidly and as plentifully in the one 

 place, as in the other. The difference in the soil 

 and climate has not, however, as much influence, 

 as is generally imagined, by residents on the sea- 

 board. Would they adopt the same nianafre- 

 ment, pursue the same modes of culture, which, 

 somewhat modified, they unquestionably can, 

 there can be no doubt, that though thev could not 

 obtain the success of the western planter, yet 

 they would make some approximation toward it. 



What then is this management and mode of 

 culture? 



1. The overseers are practical men and well 

 paid for their services. Those most readily, as 

 well as most generally employed, are such, as in 

 addition to the general qualifications of integritv, 

 industry and sobriety, have once tilled with their 

 own hands their own soil, or have cropped it with 

 others. They know what they have done them- 

 selves, and consequently what to exact of others; 

 what the implements of labor should be, and 

 most generally how to make and to mend them. 

 It is with them common law, and almost univer- 

 sal custom, that they are to rise with the negroes, 

 remain with them while they are in the field, and 

 personally direct and inspect all that is done. 

 They fear not labor, rain, or sunshine. To be 

 seen attending to their business by negroes or em- 

 ployers, on horse-back, with gZove on hand and 

 timbrella over head, they would feel as a personal 

 degradation and justifiable cause for '' notice to 

 quit." In general they will have no driver under 

 thcra, by his example to teach others how to be 

 drones, to do nothing himself, and to expect or 

 exact little of others, and to divide responsibilities 

 with them. In quickness of step, facilities, and 

 despatch of business, their example, and theirs 

 only is to be imitated. When the hands are ne- 

 cessarily divided, so that all cannot be under their 

 direct inspection, they select one in each gang to 

 be the foreman, and such a one, as will take a 

 pride in being a leader, and will faithfully report 

 all defaulters. 



2. Negroes are well fed and clothed. They 

 have their weekly allowance each, of three hun- 

 dred pounds of bacon, or its equivalent, and as 

 much hominy or corn flour, as they can consume, 

 ground at the mills, delivered to them. When 

 potatoes and peas are in season, they are permit- 

 ted to use all they may want. 



B. The horses, mules, &c., used on the planta- 

 tions are of (rood quality, and well used. When 

 purchased they must be recommended by their 

 capacity for hard labor, and for the quickness of 

 their step. If these are obtained, expense is a se- 

 condary consideration. The judicious planter 

 does not act as though he thought that an ani- 

 mal good f^3r nothing else fit for the plough. He 

 will not use his broken-down carriage horses, 

 mules worn out by harsh treatment, nor " old 

 field tackles," which cost the catching of them, 

 and waste ths time of his negroes in following 

 their snail-like steps. The description of horsea 

 and mules used under the charge of an overseer, 

 such as has been described, ensures in a land of 

 plenty, the greatest care and the best treatment. 



4. But it is by the use of the plough that so 

 much is achieved. By it, the beds are prepared 

 for plantinsi, the trenches or drills made, and the 

 seed covered. By it, the most part of the grass 

 is destroyed and the plant furnisjied with the re- 

 quisite earl h fijr its support and sustenance. By 

 it the use of the hoe in a great measure may be 

 dispensed with, and when used it will require 

 comparatively but a small portion of physical 

 sirengih. 



It does appear to seem stramre that the hoe- 

 culture should ever have prevailed to the extent 

 that it has on the sea-board, and more strange, 

 that it should continue in this utilitarian and la- 

 bor-saving age. Is it objected that the lands are 

 low and intersected by drains and canals? There 

 is indeed some force in this objection, but not 

 enough to exclude the use of ihe plough. The 

 lands in many places might be cleared and drained 

 with a reference to its use. It may be safely af- 

 firmed, that there are few plantations, where the 

 labor-savmg machine could not be used, to the 

 reduction at least of one-third of the manual 

 labor. 



It may interest some of your readers who groan 

 under the pressure of their crops of eight acres of 

 corn and cotton to the hand, and whose fears are 

 alarmed lest the grass should overrun them, to 

 learn how, by the use of the plough, twenty acres 

 to the hand can be planted and the same crop se- 

 cured. 1 will, therefore, give you in detail the ar- 

 rangement of the crop on our plantation last year. 

 There were, besides the regular crop, 75 acres of 

 oats, potatoes, and slips, enough for the use of 

 the plantation, and about 15 acres of wheat. The 

 plantation worked 30 hands— 15 at the plough, the 

 rest with, the hoe. In March, 300 acres were 

 planted with corn, on land previously well plouirh- 

 ed and checked. In the first week of April, 300 

 acres of cotton were planted. The land was pre- 

 pared by throwing together, wiiha turning-plough 

 in the alleys of old cotton-fields, four fljrrows. 

 Thus bedded, the drills were opened wilh a small 

 scatter, or bull-tongue plough, in which the seed 

 was sown; they were covered by a board fasten- 

 ed on the plough-stock, in the place of the mould. 

 The drilling, planting and covering, occupied four 

 days and a half There was an excellent stand, 

 and no replanting necessary. The ploughs and 

 hoes then went into the corn-field. These were 

 well ploughed and hoed by the time the cotton 

 was out of" the ground and required work. The 

 cotton was four times ploughed, and as often hoed,- 

 and when laid by in July, a hat would have held 

 all the grass that couldhave been found. The 



