Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1844-06-19
AGRlCTJLTURAL.
FyomilLs South Carolinian. =
-OVERS SEERS.

We seldom see comsnun.c .caiions IN agricui-
tural journals in.referencs 10 Oyerseers:: Ie, e,
oyerseers are most important characters IN all
planting operations, aud itWould be as much
to tie interest of planters 10 lmfI fIope Them, as
10 improve. their lands, stock, Grys manner oi
planting. hi fact more, for witloutlmpr
them it is very difficult 10 effect any osherlm-
movement Eyen.with The best manage most
of;thc pleasure if not the profit OF planting, de-
pends on the character of.the oYetseer. Piar..
ters may be diEiled intotwo great classes, VIZ:
those who attend to their business, and those
who do notss4An nd tins creates corresponding
classes of operseers., The planter who does
not manage his own, business must OF course.
surrender everything into. the hands OF ms;
oysrseer .'Suchsa planter usually rates the
I;crita OF ;f,e overseey exactly in propoftion-io
the number ofbags Of cotton he makes, and OF
course the oYerseeT cares for nothing but TO
make large crop: % him itissos no conse-
ouence thai the old hands are worked down,
or the Young ones Dyerstrained; that the breed:
ing women isiiscarry, and the suckers lose
their childrcn; that tllemnles are broken down,
the plantation tools destroyed. tue stock me-
elected; ana d;tIle landsfuiDed. So that ne has
the reouisiteanumbe ofcotton bags alEissoverrs
looked;she isTe.en1pfo Dyed at an ADVANCED sal
ary, and his reputation increased. Everybody
knews that by such a course crop may be IN
creased by the Inostinferior overseer, in any
given year. unlessh his predecessors have So
entirely exhausted the resources ofthe p'auta-,
ton that there is no part of the capital lett
which can be wrought up into current .nconles
And this seldom happens, for such planters
usually allow their overseers or other agents
10 ptfTchase freely what is wanted, sothat most
losses are repaired-at their cost, y TO be sure; !;
but they keep no accounts, and never think OF
expenses. The amount of their reasoning on,
the subject is, that a good crop has been made,
and therefore they mast be prospecting. And so
they go on to their rnin. But they haveSpre-
viously ruined many who might thaye been fine
overseers. Having once had ths sole manage
ment Of a plantation, and lmbibed The idea that
The only test of good planting is 10 make a large
crop OF cotton, an oVerseer becomes worthless.
He will no longer obey orders; he will not
stoop to details: he scorns all improvements,
and uitl not adopt any other plan Of planting
than simply to work lands, negroes and mules
TO the top Of their bent, which necessarily
proves fatal toeyery employer who will allow
II.
II seems scarcely credible, that any man
owning plantation will SO abandon it aud his
people OH il entirely 10 bireling, no matter
what his confidence; in him is. Yetther are
numbers who doit habitnally; and Iiiuve even
known overseers to stipulate lhattheir employ.
ers should not give any order, nor interfere IN
any way with their management ofthe plaGta
ton There are also some propreiors OF con
siderable property and pretension 10 being
planters, who give their overseer a proportion
ofthe crop for his wages; thus bribing him by
the strongest inducements Of self.interest, 10
oy;erstrain aud work down everything commit
ted 10 his charge. The number, however, oi
those pfaaters who resign themselves and other
nroperty to ibe tender mercies' of their over
seers, is rapidly Diminishing, partly by then
beioa- c compelled TO sell oct, and partly by the
.,s,sewhich the times haYe given 10 agrlcul-
amp ,y,yerient. Il is beg,m.:,,ns TO iee; aus
tinc,y underto0 that Ian,ng,s
bv which no one eau thrive, wnoaGes ,ba, no. a un
Sersland and diligently afsas ~, ,pu, I'll II, 'au u
il is a. science intimately arJ annl;c,
recurring for its full inyestsau.o., a.e s1lances
lion, knowledge Of almost all o'he,: Nc ba,
And am happy to add, that no seie; i..t ,ar
advaaced more rapidly, within the iaS. I If
years or seems more likely to advance ne. Co,
Ter. Long as agriculture has beer prac'lsc'..
tits vet nits infancy, as regards lis perfection;
and no field opens q WIDER sphere t0r. genus,
or affords higher promise Of iame,5th thar the
study and practice oft on scientific principles
But here again we encounter the difficulty o.
oyersecrs.zx Few Of that large and increasing
class of planters who do not manage their 3oWr
business. can. dispense with agents and md sub
agents. II is impossible, on plantation o. an!
size, for the proprietor to attend TO ali The DE
tails,many ofwhich are irksome and tlaoorlons
and he requires more intelligence 10 assist hlil
than slaves usually possess. To him, ;lhefe
fore, good oYerseer ls blessing. but But a.
oyerseerwho would answer tue views oil sncl
planter is most dificultto find. The men el 9,
gagodt.in !ha! !!ha! occupation who combine IN IN