THE 



SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



Devoted to Agriculture, Horticulture, and the Household Arts. 



Agriculture is the nursing mother of the Arts. I Tillage and Pasturage are the two breasts of 

 °—Xenop}ion. " I the State. — Sully. 



FRANK. G. RUFFIN, Editor. F. G. RUFFIN & N. AUGUST, Prop'rs. 



Vol. XVI. RICHMOND, AUGUST, 1856. No. 8. 



TO CHRISTOPHER QUANDARY. 



Dear Christopher : — I have to acknowledge 

 the receipt of your letter asking my advice 

 abput overseers — the management of your farm, 

 and the best course to pursue, to enable you to 

 pay your present debts. You also desire to 

 know whether I think it wise or unwise for the 

 agricultural class to purchase goods, &c, upon 

 credit, and in anticipation of large crops and 

 high prices. 



Rochefoucault has truly said "there is nothing 

 of which we are so liberal as of advice" and 

 that we may "give advice,but we cannot give con- 

 duct." My advice is not gratuitous, but offered 

 at your request. Your father and myself were 

 old friends. He died in 1850, (about the time 

 you graduated at the University,) and through 

 him you inherited a good estate. I learn from 

 you that you reside upon this farm and that for 

 the last five years you have been engaged in 

 agricultural pursuits. I have lived longer than 

 you, and as I sincerely desire the prosperity of 

 all the agricultural community, I shall comply 

 with your wishes. Educated young gentlemen 

 cannot expect to become good managers instan- 

 ter. Their ignorance of practical agriculture, 

 and their want of experience have more fre- 

 quently attracted my sympathy than excited 

 my surprise. If any of the suggestions which 

 I design to present, should prove of any service 

 to you, I shall be fully compensated for address- 

 ing you. 



If you have read the excellent editorial arti- 

 cles in recent numbers of the Southern Planter 

 upon the duties and qualifications of overseers, 

 you \rill not care much to read my views on 

 the same subject. Referring you to those 

 essays, I*content myself with only afew observa- 

 tions on this topic. The supply of really good 

 overseer».is not adequate to the demand, and 

 hence it often happens, that farmers are induced 

 to employ, as overseers, men wholly incompe 

 tent to discharge the duties ordinarily required. 

 An overseer should possess discrimination and 

 judgment, a strong constitution and good 

 health, industry, integrity, patience and perse- 



verance. To these let him add sobriety and 

 self-command. He should not delude himself 

 with the notion that the political affairs of the 

 country and the salvation of the confederacy 

 imperatively require him to become a political 

 partisan, or that the municipal affairs of his 

 county will be entirely mismanaged unless he 

 neglects the business of his employer and rides 

 to every monthly, quarterly and circuit court 

 to "hear the news" and "to see and be seen." 

 He is paid for his time and services, and to the 

 diligent performance of those services he should 

 devote himself. He should push his business 

 and not allow his business to push him. He 

 should love and speak the truth, and remember 

 that if he does not, his employer will soon de- 

 tect and cease to respect him. He should main- 

 tain a proper discipline, but always ohserve 

 justice and humanity. He should require fair 

 and reasonable work, but carefully abstain 

 from excessive labor, or improper exposure of 

 his laborers during bad weather. He should 

 strive to make good crops and at the same time 

 improve the soil — attend faithfully and regu- 

 larly to the horses, cattle, sheep, hogs, &c. 

 Between him and his employer there should be 

 courtesy always — consultation occasionally — 

 familiarity at no time. It is the duty of the 

 overseer to respect the wishes and execute the 

 orders of his employer, whether the overseer ap- 

 proves of the orders and plans of said employer 

 or otherwise. 



But few overseers have sufficient maturity of 

 judgment or requisite experience, before they 

 are thirty years old, to be qualified to manage a 

 large farm or superintend many hands ; and 

 after attaining the age of 45 to 50, their physi- 

 cal powers are impaired, and they are less fit 

 for the energetic and prompt discharge of their 

 duties. After deciding upon your plans, give 

 orders, not to your negroes, but give directions 

 to your overseer. Respect for him enjoins this 

 course, and by its observance you will prevent 

 conflict of orders and misunderstanding between 

 yourself and overseer, as well as negroes Re- 

 gard with some distrust the flattering certifi- 



