Methods of Culture in the South. 



135 



Mr. Young eight or ten years, and were promoted and maintain their 

 position solely on the ground of ability and faithfulness. They go rapidly 

 from one to another, noting whether they are picking the rows clean. 

 They also take from each tray a basket at random, and empty it into 

 another, thus discovering who are gathering green or imperfect berries. 

 If the fruit falls much below the accepted standard, the baskets are confis- 

 cated and no tickets given for them, and if the picker continues careless 

 he is sent out of the field. 



Mr. Young says that he has never found any white overseers who 

 could equal these men, and through the long year they drive on the work 

 with tireless energy. 



Indeed, Peters often has much ado to keep his energy under control. 



An Overseer " A little brief authority." 



A powerful engine cannot always be safe, and Peters slipped his bands 

 one day to his cost. A woman would not obey him, and he threatened 

 her with a pistol. Instead of obeying, she started to run. He fired and 

 wounded her twice, and then tried to get off on the lame excuse that he 

 did not know the pistol was loaded. The trouble was that he was over- 

 loaded. But his offense resulted more from these characteristics than from 

 innate ugliness of temper. To make the business of the huge farm go 

 has become his controlling passion, and he chafes at an obstacle like an 

 obstructed torrent. 



