THE SOI THERN CULTIVATOR. 
127 
Plautatieii Eceiiomy. 
Tjtkp. Eduor of till BMelin; —Enclosed you 
will find a comrnunicaiion addressed to me, 
from ihat practical asrieulturist and philanthro- 
pist, Dr Phillips, on ihesiihject of his treatment 
of nestroes and field work in g.-^neral ; showing 
the beneficial effects ot his treatment, by the 
general goo;l health of his people. 
As the health of the slave is directly connect- 
ed with the interest ol the planter, I have no 
doubt you will promote the pecuniary welfare 
of some of vour country subscribers, by in- 
serting the Doctor’s letter in your valuable and 
widely circulated journal. 
Respectfully, J. A. Rppf. 
Log Hall, Edward’s Dkpot, Miss , ) 
April 13, I84t). j 
John A. Rufp:— W ere you to give me the 
selection ot any onesu ject, which I should de- 
vote more than even direct attention to, for the 
express design ot benefitting my family and my 
country, I know notbut what I should name— the 
treatment of our slaves. 1 mean not only as re- 
gards their labor, but entire treatment, whether 
in health or sickness, at work or when at rest, 
in their houses nr out ot doors. 
You know well my situation in the swamp ot 
Big Black, with this river running as near me 
as a mile, and not over some two to three miles 
from direct north to west by south ; then Fuur- 
leen-mile c^eek about one mile i fF south ot me, 
not one h df mile Irom south fence until it de- 
bouches into the river; with overflowed land 
from 'he river and creek both, more than half 
round my premises. 
You have not only much personal knowledge 
of the health of my family, but also from re- 
port. You also know well what iny yearly 
crops of cotton have been for the past five or six 
years, and have seen yourself whether we work 
by night and Sundays as well as by day. Fur- 
thermore, vou have been with us often enougn 
and long enough at a time, to know somewhat 
ot our rest from labor “ when the sun is at its 
meridian height.” 
1 can assure you that, taking my family of 
blacks, old and young, I have not had an ave- 
rage of a sick day for several years; 1 have 
not given ten doses of medicine excepting Je- 
rusalem oak, leaves and seed, to children, for 
many months, I almost think for thirty months; 
one of my negroes has not taken a dose since 
my return here in October. 1839; some five 
have not lost a day eacn for over three years. 
I know not whether my management is the 
cause, whether my location is favorable to ne- 
groes, or whether “lam in luck.” I am th mk- 
ful such areth" tacts, and leave others to judge. 
1 have Lad sickness, an;! for several seasons; 
but generallv 1 could trace the effect to a cause 
Sometimes I have had nearly one half com- 
plaining— immediately f inquire ahniu their 
food, and seldom am 1 mistaken. You will, 
therefore, suppose that I regard food as quite 
material, f do, but not regardless of other 
things. As to food: for many years rny ne- 
groes ate out of the same pot, as it were — that 
is, our too.d was exactly alike for dinn-r, and 
breakfast and supper was like tneir dinner 
Except for a very short neriod, occasionally, we 
have cooked tor them for the last sixteen years, 
and we endeavor to give them vegetables the 
}'ear round Except at this season, they inva 
riably have cabbage or turnep tops, all the year; 
sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes and garden vege 
tables generally, in season. I have not been 
ouiol s veet potatoes until within three days 
past for several years. I have now about four 
thousand cabbage plants nut, with other vege- 
tables in proportion. My garden contains 
about an acre, and my white family numbers 
bare two. 
Ido not think I feed as much meat as many 
do, but mv negroes very seldom complain. I 
give some half a poun i each, or a little over, it 
being weighed out daily. I cannot say exactly, 
as the number ot children are about equal to 
my grown ones. 
The great <^bjecl is, to give the n enough, have 
it well cooked, and gttre (den lime (neat. Ne- 
groes cannot, or will not— they do not— eat in 
as short lime as whites; lean and do eat my 
meals in from ten to fifteen miuutes; they will 
eat thirty by the watch, andoliiimes lorty-five; 
I have timed them ana know it to be a fact. 
When the cholera raged through our land, 
many persons forbid the use ot vegetables; a 
neighbor of mine, a very intelligent brother 
Doctor, loo, cut uo his cabbages, etc., and his 
fruit trees, I was told, to prevent his family 
using them. I did not change my plan. I Lad 
a few cases, but by attention and care they all 
recovered, and are now on the farm. As 1 
name fruit, let mespealx of it here. I have 
more fruit to the number of persons, than any 
man in Mississippi. I am very particular to 
prevent the plucking of unripe fruit, and catch 
my young.sters sometimes; but I gather enough 
every day at 13 o’clock to give every one as 
much as can be eaten. This is done daily 
when our peaches, melons and figs are lipe. 
I direct my hands never to rise before day ; 
they do it inlh^winter, and 1 frequently give a 
scolding fur it. They have over and oil been 
all caught asleep not lung before sunrise. I ne- 
ver work after night unless in putting away 
cotton, and sometirnes when taking up (odder. 
The han Is are ail required to keep out of the 
rain. -Mv women, newer allowed to carry cot- 
ton. Mv rule tor working is, work briskly, 
and when tired, to rest; keep mules in a good 
lively gait, about one and three-fourth miles 
per hour. Mv entire gang rest Irorn about Isi 
of .April, during the plowing season, for three 
hours, as 1 think hands can do a full day’s work 
in eleven to twelve hours. The English and 
German term of labor is some eight to tea hours; 
not the laitfT I think. 
At this time my hands go out at 5 o’clock, 
the call is at 1 1 , and they return to the field at 
2, they knock off at say quan.er past 7, work- 
ing eleven and a fourth hours. I do plant ten 
acres ot couon to the spt of hands where the 
rows are four teet distant, or over twelve when 
five feet, that is my hands travel twenty miles; 
and I judge there are few who are flushing for 
thirteen 'o fourteen hours who do as much, 
and by the by, ibis is work wuhout using a lash, 
tor I am not with them a great deal, having 
other maiieis on hand. 
There are very many, and old planters too, 
who doubt the practicability ot this, but I can 
prove it any day. And it is reasonable, an ani 
mat— man is no more — will get tired of going 
lor fourteen to sixteen hours, whether at work 
or not, but rest him three or four hours; and he 
will be cornparaiivelv fresh. I have ridden 
thousands ot miles, and have j >gg d off as 
much as seventy -five miles, resting mysell and 
horse for a few hours, and can travel any dis- 
tance with more ease to mv hor-e at five miles 
per-hnur with rest, than ifgoirgonly three all 
the day. I have worked horses and mules here 
tor over six years, and they are apparently as 
able now as ever. 1 dwell on this matter, for I 
think it a material consideration. I beg to re- 
fer to a friend of yours ; he became so thorough- 
ly convinced that this is the true course, he was 
resolve ! to try it with some sixty to eighty 
hands. He found at fir-t that the time of rest 
was a clear los.s, hands and team were so very 
slow; he said “ they were so broke down,” that 
they could not make a day’s work; but before 
long, he got them up to it, and the consequence 
vras, the Doctor’s bill was trifling, several wo- 
men that haa not had children for years, and 
others that had lost, broughr funh fine children. 
The same plan was inirodu'md on a neighbor- 
ing plantation, with equally good results. 
I do not find the same need tor correction as 
tormerlv, and seldom complain ol rny day’s 
work, i have no doubt, I am easier satisfied, 
hut 1 make decidedly betiercrops and with more 
ease. 
I have tor several years kept a horse for every 
hand, as I work everything in the breaking up 
season. I use the best plows 1 can procure, 
and besides, I use a variety. I presume the 
quality of plows will be thougtu as tiaviog no 
bearing upon the management, of negroes. But 
I ask if a negro has to push his plow in, hold 
it steady, guide it and the horse, if he is not a 
used up negro to all intents and purposes 1 For 
this reason, with others, 1 use good plows, and 
I I lighten the labor, and to m -ke it more expe- 
ditious 1 use cultivators, sweeps, shovels, bull 
tongues, etc. etc. 
I have known a planter who used only the 
old Carey plovv; never took his horses from the 
|)low from daylight until dark; his negroes 
cooked for themselves while he was asleep — 
and he made fair crops, was “ a sood planter" 
— but it he had conscience or humanity, where 
was it? 
Another matter — I have said in a former por- 
tion ol this, that I have not had on an average 
a sick day for several years, and that I had not 
given ten doses of medicine, saving lor worms, 
tor some thirty months — thinking that the use 
of cistern water has added no little to my former 
good health. I have heaid others attribute the 
chasse of health to this cause, and have tried to 
get some accurate data ; but my planting friends 
are careless about giving their experience, mat 
others may profit thereby. Ere I close, allow 
rne to sav, ray experience with fresh meat is 
unfavorable to its use, so much so, that it I 
could keep my negroes as straight by night as 
by day, 1 never would fear disease. 1 use mut- 
ton freely in fall (late) and winter, 1 use beef 
moderately in the fall and first of winter, very 
seldom pork in any shape. The worst years 
forsickness here, have been when I used b.arrel 
pork. If I use tresh meat when the weather is 
warm, I have cayenne pepper to season with. 
My doctoring is rather on the quack order, but 
as some id' my brother M.D.’sare vending nos- 
trums to make money by, I hope 1 will be ex- 
cused, as 1 am a distanced doctor, and do not 
offer my pres'-’riptions lor pay. If there is no- 
thing indicative ot inffamir.ation about the sto- 
mach or bowel's, and no need for the lancet, 1 
give when first complaining, an emetic of ipe- 
cacuanha and tartar emeti and often givea 
second one the next day . I bleed when necessa- 
ry. Sometimes 1 give a good d tse ol rest, and 
nave given a good dose ot leather. I use qui- 
nine freely, nf*ver less than three or lour grains 
at a dose. Seldom give calomel. As I am al- 
ways “at home,” I see my negro when first at- 
tacked, andn ne times out often an emetic with 
quinine tofollow, cures the patient. When one 
that has not taken medicine lor a longtime gets 
si k, I advise the bed. hot foot b.ath and starva- 
Ion — one here has not taken a dose, e.xceot “ba- 
con and greens,” for ten years; he was “berry 
bad off,” “ leels berry sick indeed,” I bled him, 
sent, him to bed, he grunted two days and ca«ie 
out as lively as an old fellow ought to. 
With children, I use a weed known asJeru- 
.salem oak, every spring and fall; 1 don’t wait 
for them to get sick; there is a wo nan that 
conks and takes care of them ; wher sick, warm 
water in cold weather, and cold water in warm 
weather is used freely ; they take no medicine ; 
I have not given a dose per year scarcely. 
One thing 1 have no'ed as to children: — 
When-one woman cooks, the children look bad- 
ly and are complaining; put them in charge of 
another, and they will f iiten equal to Berkshires. 
I m.ian by this, as differing Irom others, that 
they latien remarkably well. In reading over 
I find one tnin overlooked : when my negroes 
are rest'ng from eleven to two, they are debar- 
red washing their own clothes even; permuted 
to do no labor except currying, ru'obing dowa 
and feeding iheir mules. 
You requesied me to wiite an article or so. 
I have (lone so. You are at liberty to use in 
any way that you think will be mo't servi cable 
to our tellows. Allow me to say, not that 1 
have any pride as to being a writer, but proud 
that 1 was raised to wc rk. I have been with 
my hands a good portion of the day, and write 
ihi.s after my supper. I have not the time to 
copy or to correct; il it is worth publishing 
it is worth coi reeling. Believe me to be sin- 
cerely, your friend, M. W, Pfiilips, 
