Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1857-04-18
From the Cotton Planter & Soil.
MaXimS for Young Farmers and
OVGrSeGTS.

From the Cotton Planter Il Soil.
MaXimS for Young Farmers and
OVGrSeGTS.
DIR. CLoUD.-Dear Sir: The following
ten maxlms are respectfully dedicated to
young planters and oVerseers, i'll the hope
that in this day of agricultural progress
they may effect some good:
FOR YOUNG FARMERS.
l. AS soon as you have planted your
crop, be sure to make a calculation how
much you will make. If you have made
liberal allowances for bad seasons, sick.
ness, and such like subtrdctions, you will
| probably be not more than two thirds over
the mark; but then, you will have had all
the pleasure of anticipation, and you can
easily convince yourselfthat your arith-
meIc was right, if something else was
wrong.
2 Be sure not to pIow deep. Geolo-
gists say the earth is a hollow globe, and
you might get through the crust. Be
sides, if the current philosophy be true,
that the interior is liquid fire, you might
get your feet burnt
3 The old adage that ''time is money"
may do we'll for the face of a yankee clock,
but is altogether beneath the philosophy
of Young America. Therefore, lie in
bed till your breakfast is ready, and be
sure to go to fishing every Saturday
evening. Your corn and cotton will grow
as we'll while you sleep, as when you are
awake; and if the grass grows too, who
cares for grass?
4 Scientific agricuturalists make a
great noise about rotation of crops. Don't
believe word they say. 'Rotation of
crops,' indeed Wonder if the rotation
of the wagon wheel don't land it in mud
hole at last? Bug who? Every body
knows that good land makes more cotton
than poor lahd--so continue to plant
your best field in cotton as long as You
please. If it wears out, you can go to
Texas.
AS you value your future prospects
in life, and your reputation as physiolo-
gist, never suffer a curry comb to scratch
the sides Of your mules. 1t wears them
out, (the curry-combs) and curry y-combs
cost money. If the pours of their skin
should be clogged up with dust, they can
rub themselves against tree or the corn
er of the fence; and every body knows
there is a glorious luxury in scratching
FOR ovERsEERs.
6 you are an overseer, and young
one at that, look sour at your negroes the
first day, and kick up a general row the
second. Africans are nothing but brutes,
aRd they will love you the better for whip
ping, whether they deserve it or not. Be-
sides, by this manly course you will show
your spunk. To be sure, half dozen
Of them may take to the woods, but that
is no loss to you.
y. Be sure to make your office sine
cure.-Congressmen, Judges, and civil
officers generally, do so, and why may
not overseers? To this end, ride once
in the forenoon to where you can see your
hands, and then gallop off to some store,
blacksmith shop, or wherever you can
find crowd to listen to your interesting
conversation. This is the only way ito
magnify your office"
N. Whatever else you may neg
lect, never forgetto put yourself in lhe
possessipe case In regard to your employ
er's propeny-say "my negroes, my
mules, my cdtton," &c. Your employer
is lazy skunk, and has no right to any
thing.
8. Swear s'like our army iii Flanders"
yourself; but whip every negro on the
plantation who dares to use profane Ian
guage-the ebony scamps, what. right
have they to initiate their overseer!
If your horse becomes lame, or from
any other cause cannot carry you, as in
No. Z. seek some "boundless contlguIty
of shade,'' where you can enjoy COM
Portable snooze nothing like "otIum
cum dignitate." T" ..
10. If your employer desires you to
plant his cotton or corn in manner dit
ferent from that which you think best, be
sure to spoil every thing, in its cultivation
you will then prove to him that his plans
are wrong, and yours right
CLoD THUMpER.
January, 1857.