The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-05-02
.agrnultural.
From, the Southern Organ.s
On Plantation Management.

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The following communication, on the impar-
tance OF proper management in the conducting
of o cotton plantation, and especially on the
art economizing time-so as to do every spe-
cies of work in its proper seasons furnished
us by aplanter of extensive experience in Kinds
county, Miss:
Dear Sir-The mass of our race Judge of
the, ,pretensions of an ind! !idual in any practi-
cal department by the amount of wealth he ac-
cumulates: thus, an overseer who seeks,em-
ployment, and can produce evidence that he is
aten bales planter, can usually meet with a
ready call. This is, when no better opportu-
nifty exists for Judging, perhaps the best critic
rion; and usually it is all that is needed, because
planters are too often satisfied with it. A man
may make alarge crop and yet not be good
manager, as some consider good management.
Wbyl Because a good manager should have
much more to do than making crops. He may
have to clear land, to build, to ditch, and all
the ct ceteras in plantation economy. Aman-
ager is not born; it is like public speaking !;
he may have gifts which, if cultivated, will
make one. "Such qualities are only the result
of much reading, of careful and close study, and
no little experience" One man,will start his
team in the spring and 'go ahead" wet or dry,
because he has had no foresight; another looks
ahead, and seemingly withoutthought. He has
wet weather work and dry weather work.
When time to plant he has his seed corn all
prepared; no loss of time then to select and
prepare: When the time comes to plow; he
has not then to grind axes, or make axe han.
dies; all has been done and ready in bad wea-
ther. When hoes are to be moving, handles
are made, hoes ground and all handled ready
for use His repairs, whether to houses, fences,
gears, or what not, are all done in proper
time; no confusion, no loss of time, whereas,
the first subject is all in furry and all.the
time annoyed until his crop is ready for regn-
lar working. The one will make a fair crop
without any exertion, whilst the other is press.
ing all day and as much of the night as can be
possible. The one man will make only per-
haps eight bales of cotton, but will have his
hands, his team and tools in perfect keeping at
the end of the year, with healthy, stout chill
aren. The other may make ten bales, with
negroes we'll worn, team reduced, tools broken
or injured, and children weakly and puny-
not able to stand an ordinary spell Of sickness
Fortunes, like knowledge, are not gained in
day, nor are they made by the largest crops.
) Any man, upon such land as lies in many por-
tions Of your State may make ten to twelve
or even fifteen bales of cotton. Where land,
ander ordinary attention, will produce two
bales per acre and rows eight feet distant, who
could not make his twelve balese Scraping
one acre is only 1920 yards; eight acres will
be only II miles; whereas, where land is thin,
there are as many miles or more on four acres,
rows four feet distant or less-and more diff:
eult, as there are more stalks TO clean around.
1t is time planters we're looking to something
else than the making of large crops; they are
made at aheavy cost, not only of teams, &c,
but also of land, and it must be done by those
who have adopted the pernicious practice Of
, making all subserHent to a big crop of cotton.
Let an example be set Of good management,
audthe Southwest viii not he behind any por.
ton Of the earth. Those who have made for.
tunes by,making ten 10 eighteen bales, can
well affordto bring their fellows back, il, there
be any of said fortune, ,Gand n. smaller crops
will pay better.