The Portland daily press., 1883-03-13
Washington as a Farmer.
Newly Published Letters to the :Superin-
tendent of His Estate,

The most agreeable reading in the Maya
zine of American History for February is
furnished by some hitherto unpublished let
tiers of Washington, from series in posses
sion of the Long Island Historical Society.
The letters were written from Philadelphia
while Washington was President, to Mr.
William Pearce, superintendent for three
of the Mount Vernon estate.
They relate to agricultural and domestic
matters, show. extensive knowledge of farm
ing and afford additional proof of the care
tal attention showed by Washington upon
the details Of the business. In one of his let
tiers to Mr.. Pearce, as he is about to take
charge, Washington says, Dec. is, 1893:
MY object is to recover the fields from the
exhausted state into which they have fallen
by oppressive crops, and to restore them (if
possible by any means in my power to
health and vigor;'' and after detailing some
"abuses which have crept into all parts CT
my business" he adds: ST had rather you
should probe things to the bottom, whatever
time it may require to do it, than
to decide hastily on the first view of
them: as to establish good rules and regu-
lar system is the life and soul of every Kind
of business" Soonsafter he wrote:
Among the first things to be done after
you are well fixed yourself, will be, pre-
sumo, that of taking an exact account of
stock of every species. Tools and nipple
ments on each of the farms-charging them
fhQraWifh that q rGO1Ilar fhorooF
may be rendered whenever called for.-Buy
in Alexandria a proper (bound) book for this
purpose, and another to enter the weekly
reports in.-The latter is required 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, and this
is intended as register of the proceedings
ON the farms, that they may be made with
correctness always comparing the last
with the preceding weeks report and all diff
ferences satisfactorily accounted for.-The
Overseers are allowed paper for these Re-
ports. Suffer no excuse therefore for their
not coming into you every Saturday night,
that you may be enabled to forward copy
of them to me by the Wednesdays Post
following And it is not only satisfactory,
but may be of real utility to know the state
of the weather as to heat and cold, drought
/ every weeks report meteorological account
of these. The Thermometer which is at
Mount Vernon will enable you to do the
first.
To these weekly letters and reports Wash
ington replied by every Mondays Post, re-
viewing his superintendent work and adj
ding minute instructions in reference to ev-
cry detail of his BUSINESS, down TO the prep
aration of ''Seins' for the spring catch of
fish IN the Potomac. These letters make up
the collection of one hundred and eighteen
in all, which it is to be hoped the Long Is
land Historical Society will publish in full.
A few extracts are added;
Is there anything particular in the cases
of Ruth, Hannah & Pegg, that they have
been returned sick for several weeks togeth-
er? Ruth know is extremely deceitful:
she has been aiming for sometime past to
get into the house, exempt from work; bat
if they are not made to do what their age g.
strength will enable them, it will be a bad
example to others, none of whom would
work if by pretexts they can avoid it
Do not suffer the Quarter Negro children
to be in the kitchen, or in the yards unless
brought there on business-as besides the
bad habit-they too frequently are breaking
limbs or twigs from, or doing other injury
to mp shrubs, some of which, at consider
able expense have been propagated.
From some complaints made by nv Ne
groes, that they had not sufficient allow
ance of meal, and from willingness that
they should have enough, the quantity was
increased by Whiting so as to amount (by
what have learnt from Mr.. STUART to pro
fusion. This is an error again on the other
side. My wish and desire is that they should
have as much as they can eat without waste
and no more. always used to lay
in great quantity of Fish for them, and
when we were at home meat, fat & other
things were now and then given to them be-
sides. But it would seem from their ac-
counts at least) that the Fish which were
laid in for them last Spring have disappeared
without their deriving much benefit from
them.
By this time l expect the Hogs that were
put up for Porke either are killed, or are fit
10 kill. request, after every person has
had their allowance given to them, that the
residue may be made into Bacon. -.
After the drilled wheat at Union farm is
taken off let particular care be used to pre-
vent its being mixed with any other. !.
have for many years past been urging the
superintendent of my business at Mount
Vernon to break number of Steers to the
Yoke that no set of Oxen may be worked
lew-but do not believe it is yet done to the
extent wish.
There is one thing wish to impress you
pretty strongly with, that you may use every
precaution in your power to guard
against, and that is-suffering nv
horses to be rode at unreasonable
hours in the night without your knowl-
edge or that of the Overseers. No doubt
rests upon my mind that this is too much
practised.
NOV. %, 1894.
Speaking of Gentlemens Servts.,
it calls to my MUD that in letter from
Mrs. Fanny Washington to Mrs. Washing
ton (her aunt) she mentions that since left
Mount Vernon she has given out four dom
and eight bottles of wine Whether they
are used or not, she does not say; but am
led by it to observe, that it is not my inten-
ton that it should be given to every one
who may incline to make convenience of
the house in travelling; or who may be in
duced to visit it from motives of curiosity.
There are but three descriptions of people to
whom l think it ought to be given first,
my particular and intimate acquaintance, in
case business should call them there, such
for instance as Doctr. Craik.-2dly, some of
the most respectable foreigners who may,
perchance, be in Alexandria or the Federal
City, and be either brought down, or be in
troduced by letter from some of my particu-
lar acquaintance as before mentioned: or
thirdly. to persons of some distinction (such
as members of Congress &cr.) who may be
travelling through the country from Month
to South or from South to North.
Unless some caution of this sort
governs, should be run to an expence as
improper as it would be considerable.
Feb. %, 1906.
:. Mr. Pearse Bailey may be informed
that | never lower my price of land; it is in
finitely more likely that it will be Increased
than to stand even at what it has been Of
fered for This he might reasonably expect,
as landed property is rising fast in value ev
erywhere, from the number of emgrants, & |