The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-04-25
How tho Pappy of has Country
Locked After Small Matters.
Washington to his Over-

III wa Va - - ~. ! III a
he Is about to take charge Washington
lays, December Is. 1913 ''Ny object i
10 recover the fields irun the exhausted
s'ate iuto which they have fallen By OPP
pIessise crops, aud to restore them iii
possible by any means IN my power IL
health and vigur,' and. after detailing
some abuses which have crept into all
parts Of NY business he adds: Il had
ather you should probe things to the
bottom, whatever time IL may require IL
do 50, than TO decide hastily on the first
view OF them; as to establish good rules
and a regular system Ii the lie aud the
soul OF every kind of business Soon
after he wrote:
Among the first thugs to be done
after you are well fixed J ,ur,elf will be,
| presume, that OF taking an exact ac-
count OF the stock OF every species, tools
aud implements on each of the farms
charging them therewi;h-that a regular
account thereof NAV be rendered when
ever called for. Buy in Alexandria !.
proper (bound) book for tnis purpose,
and another to enter the weekly reports
in The latter not only for my present
satisfaction, but that it may also, at any
time hereafter, show in what manner the
hands have been employed; and the state
of the stock and other things Of any
past period; and it is my wish, a. this j.
intended as a register of the proceedings
on the farms, that they may be made
with CORRECTNESS, always comparing the
last with the preceding weeks report
aud all differences satisfactorily accounted
for. The over.eers are allowed paper
tor these reports. Suffer no excuse.
therefore, for their not coming in To you
every Saturday night, that you may be
enabled TO forward a copy CT them to me
by the ednesday's post following. And
II Is not only salts actory. but may be Of
real utility to know the state of the
weather as TO beat and cold, drought or
moisture; prefix, as usual, at the head Of
every week report . meteorological &C
count of these. Tue thermometer
which is at Mount Vernon viii enable
you TO do the first"
To these weekly letters and reports
Washington replied by every Mondays
post, reviewing his superintendent
work. and adding minute Instructions in
reference to every detail of his business,
down TO the preparation of "~seins' for
the spring catch of Ash in the Potomac.
These letters make up the collection of
- in all, which it is to be hoped the
Long Island Historical Society will pub
hsh i'll full. A few extracts are added:
HE KNOWS A NEGRO!
is there anything particular in the
cases of Ruth, Hannah and Pegg that
they have beer returned sick for several
weeks together? Ruth | know is ex-
tremely deceittul; she has been aiming
for some past to get into the hou.e. x
empt from work; but If they are not
made to do what their age aud strength
will enable them, it vii, be a very bad
example to others, zone of whom would
work If by p.eiexts they can avoid it.
ID not suffer the quarter negro
children 10 be IN the Kitchen, or In the
yards unless brought there on business.
as besides the bad habit, they too fire
quently are breaking limbs or twigs from,
or doing other injury to, my shrubs,
some OF which nave been propagatod at
considerable expense.
From somc complaints made by my
negroes, that they had not a sufficient
allowance of meal, and fIom "a willing
ness that they should have enough, the
quantity was increased by MIR. Whiting
SO as to amount (by what | have learnt
~ 49, oNo'AiJ w BiOIu IL 10
an error again on the other side. NV
wish and desire is that they should have
as much as they can eat without waste
and no more. = \ \ always used
to lay In a 4 great quantity of fish for them
and when We were at home, meat, fat
aud other things were now and then given
to them besides. But it would seem
(trom their account at least) that the
HSh uhIah u.ra Ibid ~ Co.. tba,, L.,
spring have disappeared without their
deriving much benefit from them.
by this time | expect the hogs that
We're put up for pork either are all Kill
ed, or are fit to kill. | request. after
given to them that the residue may be
made into bacon. After the
d. lied wheat at Union farm is taken off
being mixed with any other. \ [
have for many years past been urging
the superintendent of my business at
Mount Vernon to break a number of
| steers to the yoke that no set of oxen
may be worked low, but do not believe
it is yet done to the extent | wish.
There is one thing | wish to impress
you pretty strongly with. that lou may
IL ONtlg piCSdutIUu III yOuI DONGT 10
guard against. and that is, suffering my
horses to be rode at unreasonable hours
In the night without your knowledge or
thIt IF The overseers. No doubt rests
upon my mind that this is too much
practiced.
'::Nov. %. 1854 ~ = Speaking
of gentlemen 5 servants it calls to NV
IN nd. that in a letter from Mrs Lanny
IA $50, - NJ
aunt she mentions that since | left Mt.
Vernon she has given out four dozen and
eight bottles OF wine. Whether they are
used or not he does not say, but | am
led By it 70 observe that it is not NV in
tention that it should be given to every
one who may incline to make a con-
v%enicnce of the house IN travelling. or
who may be induced to visit it from mo-
tives of curiosity There are but three
descriptions OF people in whom | think
it ought TO be given: First, my particu
lar and intimate acquaintance, in case
business should call them there-such
for instance as DR.. Craik; secondly, some
of the most respectable foreigners, who
may, perchance, be IN Alexandria or the
Federal city, and be either brought down
OF introduced by letter from some of my
particular acquaintance as before men
toned; or, thirdly, to persons Of some
distinction (such as members of Con-
gross. &c.) who may be travelling through
the country from North to South. or
from South to North. Unless some eau
ton of this sort governs, | should be run
to an expense as improper as it would be
considerable.
FEB. %, 1795.-* y Mr.. Pearse
Bailey may be informed that l never
10 Ter my price of land 1t is infinitely
more likely that it will be increased than
to stand even at what it has been offered
for. This he might be reasonably ex-