SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
171 
and the water that evaporates from the leaves of forest 
trees and agricultural plants, doubtless, often rises 
from a much greater depth, by a similar force or law. We 
have purposely taken a practical rather than a scientihc 
view of this question. At another time we will look in 
at the bottom of artesian wells, and see if we can discover 
where the water comes from. L. 
MANAGE3![ENT of NEGFvOSS. 
Editors Southern Cultivator— As the proper man- 
at^ement of our negroes is a subject not second in im- 
portance to any discussed in your columns, I hope it will 
not be deemed amiss if, in giving my views, I enter 
somewhat into detail. That on some points I shall be 
found to differ in opinion from some of -your readers and 
correspondents, is to be expected. I shall not, however, 
object to any one’s expressing his dissent, provided it be 
done in the spirit of kindness. 
Our first obligation is undoubtedly to provide them 
with suitable food and clothing. Here the question arises 
— what is sufficient food? For, as there is a difference in 
practice, there must be also in opinion among owners. 
The most common practice is to allow each hand that 
labors, whether man, woman or child, (for a boy or girl 
ten years old or over, who is healthy, and growing rapid- 
ly, will eat quite as much as a full-grown man or woman,) 
3 1-2 lbs. bacon, if middling, or 4 lbs. if shoulder, per 
week, and bread at will ; or if allowanced in this also, a 
peck of meal is usually thought sufficient. With plenty of 
vegetables, this allowance is quite sufficient ; but if con- 
fined to meat and breads negroes who work hard will eat a 
peck and a half of meal per week. 
As I live on the farm and occasionally inspect the cook- 
ing for the negioes, I see that they have enough, but no- 
thing to waste; and I speak from personal observation, 
when I state that, if without vegetables, they will eat this 
quantity. 
With very little trouble we can always, during spring 
and summer, have plenty of cabbage, kale or mustard for 
greens, also squashes, Irish potatoes and beans. In fall 
and winter, sweet potatoes, turnips, pumpkins and peas, 
I believe there is no labor devoted to a provision crop, 
that pays equal to that bestowed on a plain kitchen gar- 
den. As there is no vegetable of which negroes are more 
fond than of the common field pea, it is well to save 
enough of them in the fall to have them frequently during 
the spring and summer. They are very nutritious ; and 
if cooked perfectly done^ and well seasoned with red pepper, 
are quite healthy. If occasionally a little molasses be 
added to the allowance, the cost will be but a trifle, while 
the negro will esteem it as a great luxury. As most per- 
sons feel a great reluctance at paying out money for little 
luxuries for negroes, I would suggest the propriety of 
sowing a small patch of wheat for their benefit. The 
time and labor will never be missed. Many persons are 
in the habit of giving out the allowance to their negroes 
once a week, and requiring them to do their own cooking. 
This plan is objectionable on various accounts. Unless 
better provided for taking care of their provisions than is 
common among negroes, some will steal the meat from 
others, and the loser is compelled for the remainder of the 
week to live on bread, or the master must give him an ad- 
ditional allowance. The master cannot expect full work 
fi-om one who is but partially fed ; while on the other 
hand, if he will give the loser an additional supply, the 
negroes soon learn to impose upon his kindness, by being 
intentionally careless, or by trading off their meat and 
pretending it has been stolen. Another objection is, that 
some are improvident, and will get through with their 
whole allowance of meat before the week is gone, and, 
consequently, are a part of their time without any. 
To making the negroes do their own cooking, the objec- 
tions are still more weighty. It encroaches upon the rest 
they should have, both at noon and at night. The cook- 
ing being done in a hurry, is badly done; being usually 
burnt outside while it is raw within; and, consequently, 
is unhealthy. However abundant may be the supply of 
vegetables, the hands have no time to cook them, and con- 
sequently are badly fed, and have not ihe.strength to do 
as much labor as they could otherwise perform with com- 
fort. 
The plan pursued by the writer is, to weigh out a cer- 
tain amount of meat for each day ; a portion of which is 
given to the cook everj^ morning, to be boiled for dinner, 
and with it are cooked as many vegetables and as much 
bread as the negroes will eat ; all of which is usually di- 
vided among them by the Foreman In the evening, 
enough is cooked for both supper and breakfast ; so that 
by the time we are done feeding stock, supper is ready, 
and the hands have only to eat and they are ready for bed. 
When the nights are long, the meat for supper and break- 
fast is sometimes divided without cooking. In addition 
to the above, the negroes, during spring and summer, 
usually get plenty of milk once a day. During fall and 
winter, the quantity of milk is more limited, and, what 
molasses they get, they are made to win by picking 
cotton. 
To make one negro cook for all, is a saving of time. If 
there be but ten hands, and these are allowed two hours at 
noon, one of which is employed in cooking their dinner, 
for all purposes of rest that hour had as well be spent in 
plowing or hoeing; and would be equal to ten hours’ work 
of one hand: whereas the fourth of that time would be 
sufficient for one to cook for all. As there are usually a 
number of negro children to take care of, the cook can 
attend to these, and see that the nurses do their duty. I 
would add that besides occasional personal inspection, it is 
made obligatory on the Overseer, frequently to examine 
the cooking and see that it is properly done. 
One of your correspondents has endeavored to prove 
that lean meat is more nutritious than fat. It is, how- 
ever, a well known fact that the more exhausting the 
labor, the fatter the meat which the negro’s appetite 
craves, and it agrees well with him. This I regard as one 
of the instincts of nature ; and think experience is op- 
posed to your correspondent’s theory. 
As to clothing, less than three suits a year of every day 
clothes will not keep a negro decent, and many of them 
require more. Children, particularly boys, are worse 
than grown persons on their clothes, and, consequently, 
require more of them. I have never been able to keep a 
a boy, from ten to sixteen years of age, decently clothed 
with less than four suits a year; nrtr would that answer, 
if some of the women were not compelled to do their 
mending. It is also important that women who work 
out should in addition to their usual clothing, have a 
change of drawers for wdnter. 
As no article of water-proof, suitable for an outer gar- 
ment, and sufficiently cheap for plantation use, is to be 
had in the stores, the writer would suggest the propriety 
of having for each hand, a long apron with sleeves, made 
of cotton osnaburgs, and coated with well boiled linseed 
oil. In the fall, when picking cotton, this apron may bo 
worn early in the morning until the dew dries off, then 
laid aside. By making it sufficiently loose across the 
breast, it can be used as an over-coat at any time that the 
negro is necessarily exposed to rain. 
Patching may be done by the women on w’et days, 
when they are compelled to be in (he house. Or when 
a breeding woman gets too heavy to go to the field, she 
may be made to do a general patching for all the hands. 
In furnishing negroes with bed clothes, it is folly to buy 
the common blankets, such as sell for a dollar or a dollar 
and a quarter. They have but little waimih or durabii- 
