New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-08-25
Negro Management

AotAS
For the future in the distance, N"'
Il And the good that can do
~ Negro Management
For the benefit of our planting friends, we
make the following extracts from an essay by
Robert Collins, Of Macon, Georgia.
The writer has been accustomed to slavery
from his earliest days, and for thirty years has
much interested in their management, both
oeen and public works, and has here
on plantatlonD his own interests, as
tofore been prompted W W reasonable
well as inclination, to try eyeiJ "a
mode of management, treatment, living anu
Dor; and the result Of a long experience has
fully satisfied him, and proved beyond doubt,
that the best interests Of all parties are most
promoted by kind and liberal treatment on the
part Of the owner, and the requirement of pro- |
per discipline and strict obedience on the part
of the slave. We subjoin the eextracts: II
| NEGRO HoUsEs.-Among the first objects that
occupy the attention Of the planter in the set |
tlennent of new place is the selection of pro-
per location for his buildings. This should al
ways be done with great care, and with an es-
pecial view to health. Good water Is lndispen-
sable, and should he obtained at almost any cost,
as without it there can be no permanent health
1t should be obtained from wells or springs, II
possible but if that cannot be done, then proper
cisterns should be constructed and placed to re-
iceiye the rain water from the buildings, by
which means constant supply of healthy water
may be kept on hand.
The houses should be placed, if possible, under
the shades of the native forests; but where that
lcannot be done, the China, or mulberry, or some
quick growth, should be Immediately trans
planted SO as to cover the buildings in some
degree from the rays of the sun. The buildings
should be placed about two feet above the
ground, SO that the air can pass freely under
them, and also be well ventilated with doors and
windows. They should be sufficiently large,
say about sixteen by twenty feet, and but one
family should be put in house; there Is moth
inc more Injurious to health or demoralizing in
feeling, then crowding them together. They
had much better sleep in the open air than IN
crowded tight houses. Each house or family
should be furnished with suitable bedding and
blankets, for while proper outfit costs rev
dollars in the beginning, they save twice as much
| in the end they add greatly to the comfort and
health of the slave, and enable hlm much petter
| to perform the labor required.
FEEDING OF SLAvEs.-In former years the
writer tried many ways and expedients to econo-
miSe in the provision of slaves by using more OF
the vegetable and cheap articles of diet, and less
u of the more costly and substantial But time
A' and experience have fully proved the error OF
= stinted policy; for many years the following
W uniform mode has been adopted, with much sue
Ieess and satisfaction, potn W ene o"Aei aii' w
: the slaveg. q,
~ The allowance now given per week to each
:. hand men, women, boys and girls, that are ole
,r enough to 90 into the field to work, is live pounds
of good clean bacon, and one quart OF molasses
: with as much good bread as they require; ane
~ in the fall sickly season OF the year, or u
sickly places, the addition of one pint OF strong
coffee, sweetened with sugar, every morning
!. before going to work. These provisions ar
d. giyen out on some designated night OF each week
: and for families it is put together; but to slngl
~ hands it is given to each separately, ana the.
then unite in squads or messes, ana nave enei
i meat cooked for them by woman VINO Is ae
by tailed for that purpose, OF keep it themselves
! "a thew please. Their bread is baked daily
.or loayes, by d woman who is kept for that duty
" Each house or family should have garden a.
ttached for raising their own vegetables.
4. This mode of allowanoing relieves the oWne
J.. from much trouble in daily supervising the
,M a provisions and is much more satisfactory to tn
slave. Under this system of treatment VOL
It,. of complaint in relation to their living is seldo
ale heard. Some planters, however, differ on tn
st. subject and prefer the plan of cooking al
10. eating at one common table; and it is possb
fed. with a small number of hands, and where u
es owner is willing to devote good deal OF attel
ish ton to that matter, that he may save sma
y amount But IL Will HOI Dt 81 y ai
.- he will probably not gain enough to pay fer u
trouble. Children, of course, must be fed al
ee.. attended to as their wants require; they
by not likely to be neglected, as they pay go
At interest upon the amount of care and expen
hip bestowed upon them.
:. NEGRO CLorHNG.-The proper and usu
quantity of clothes for plantation hands IS t.
py suits of wollen for winter, four pair OF she
s... and three hats, which, with such articles
, tha M
st chooses to give make up the years allowant
sale Neatness in dress is important to the healt
al2 comfort as pride of o negro, which should be
sale couraged by the owner. They should be
uia duced to think well of themselves; and the mt
ves pride and self respect you can lnstin into tn
9e. yiceable they will be; SO they should always
sale aided and encouraged in dressing, and tn
eqs own peculiar fancies indulged to reasona
ers. extent
bToms Hours OF WoRK--In the winter time,
smi in the sckly of the year, all hands sho
have breakfast before leaving their hou
ee. This they can do and get to work by snnr
ints, and stop no more until twelve O'Clock; t
sts rest one hour for dinner, then work until mig
,xes, In the spring and summer they should g
light, and stop at eight o'clock for breakfi
;ss then work until twelve o'clock, and two no
Null for dinner, and work from two o'clock till ale
yl0tw All hands ston on Saturday at twelve o'elC
sale ona take the afternoon for cleaning up ii
lanls houses and clothes, so as to make neat
pear ranee ON Sunday morning.
SIS. TASK WoRK-The usual custom Of plante
nuts, to work without tasks during the euluYatio
LII, +h.;r oron hut in gathering cotton, tasks
aess common, and experience has proven that wi
I'd for ever work is of that kind or character, th
Aal - st. is much better to do SO. If the overseer
8, for judgment, he will get more work, and the u
iels will be better satisfied; he will generally II
900 an effort to gain time to devote to his own
App,Sy" lplp or pleasures.