The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1855-03-14
AGRICULTURAL.
From The Southern Cultipdtor.
System on the Plantation-Letter from
Mr.. Affleck.

TO --, ESQ:
DEAR SIR-The remark in yours oftht
18th inst, surprises me no Iittle-that
"ior myself | have no hope Of ever getting
an overseer who will or can keep such Il
book" rs my "Plantation Record and Ac
count Book" And that you are now
trying to teach one-perhaps my best
who has 100 workers Under him, to write
and to read my writing"
An oversecr unable to write, and vet
entrusted with the management ola prop.
erty worth, ! presume, from 100000 to
sl8O,o0O; and the happiness, TO very
great degree, of some $50 souls. In what
other business would such risk be run
And yet it is by no means m uncommon
state of things. Still, in your case, I was
well aware that if men really competent
for such an employment and position could
be had, you would have them. And
hence, infer that your overseers, as 4 class,
are thus ignorant.
Here, it is not so. There are many
oversees here who are men well cduca-
ted and fully competent to the responsible
charge Of large plantations-in not few
instances, able to keep and do keep their
Plantation Books in satisfactory man
ner.
When | first commenced cotton plant
ng, having been trained in Scotland to
the strlctest business habits, | was aston
ishcd beyond measure to find that it was
almost impossible 70 find an overscer who
would ever listen to an idea of the kinr!-
as to keeping plantation book. They
would note the daily picking of cotton
and the weights of the bales as sent Off
but nothing else. That would not suffice
for me. looked around amongst my
neiShbors and found some few who had
kept regular plantation books for many
years. | examined these, and gained
many 'aIuaO'ed hints. But the great
difficulty was, the entire want Of uniform.
ity, or Of anything like general system
OF management recognized by all. Dur
ing my first years planting, prepared
two books with the pen, almost identical
with nhat now published for tho cotton
plantation, and gave one to each of my
next year cVerseers. making 1t part OF
my contract with them, that these books
were to be correctly kept and returned TO
me at the end Of the year. And, with a
little assistance and encouragement, 1t was
done. Ard what satisfaction it was to
Inc Soon alter that, at the suggestion
OF New orleans Publisher, prepared
h'n u transcript OF the plan for pubIca-
t'on, and the books wee published. For
years. they went of slowly, but surely
Now as l mentioned the edition OF
1000 Tor the present year will all be
sold'
Already vast Improvement in the
overseers themselves Is observable, and
certainly in the system Of plantation man
agement and discipline Think Of the
advantage to both planters and overseers
OF even l'ooo books OF written from day
to-day experience scattered over the coun'
try.
AT hrst t'oVerseers were strongly opposed
70 any s"ch evidence OF a strict response
o.hty 10 theif employers and to the trou'
O'e OF daily entry OF what occurred up,
on the place; quarterly inventory Of
STOCK tooiS' &C., &c' But they had no
"i'ern"'iVe-'t was made part OF their
contract C, and must be done and done well,