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About Southern cultivator. (Augusta, Ga.) 1843-188? | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1869)
86 The richness of the soil, the number and quality of the team and farming implements, the question of board and food the physical ability of the operative, all must exert their influence upon each agreement. It may be doubted however, whether the payment of standing wages is not injurious and unsatisfactory to all concerned. Ninety nine hundredths of the negroes are utterly desti tute of capita] or means- and of necessity must anticipate their hire for the supply ot current wants. When to this is added the wastefulness and improvidence so universal among them, it is not surprising that in a vast multitude of instances, long before the expiration of the year, thfe wages agreed upon are all expended. The party contract ing for a stipulated sum is always posted as to the state of his finances, and hence the temptation to- abscond before the completion of his time, if he has exceeded his wages, or is up to them, is very great. To say that the planter should not furnish them with money or supplies upon ac count, is simply to strip him of all help. The laborer cannot exist without this assistance. In this instance the proprietor bargains to allow the freedmen one-half of the corn,/nett proceds of cotton (no seed), corn, peas, rice, fodder and potatoes, which shall be harvested, and to furnish and feed the stock used in their cultivation, and turn over for joint use the implements and wagons now upon the premises, upon the following pro visions and conditions to-wit: Ist. No part of the crop shall be divided until the close of the year. 2d. The laborers shall feed and mantain themseiveSi pay doctor’s bills, etc. 3d. They shall bear half of the expenses of the planta tion, such as the repairs of wagons, plows and other im plements, and half the cost of such additions to the same as may be required, the latter to revert solely to the pro prietor at the end of the year. 4th. They shall incur no debt or obligation based up. on the crop, without the consent of the proprietor. In the case, however, of contracts for a share of the crop*the pleasant uncertainty of the result, and the stim ulant to personal exertion which this plan holds forth, will usually keep the laborers quiet and contented to the close of the year. Instances are rare where the recipents of standing wages ever receive anything at the termination of their engage ments, while the joint crop system the past year will, at least, afford bread to thousands of freedmen in this region for another season. The corn shared out by the writer to the laborers on his own farm, if husbanded, would supply them with food for But revenons a mouton —let us return to our subject, which is the consideration of the best form an and substance of ar contract. We can only give our own, for what it is worth. sth. They shall furnish feed for one extra plow horse, and pay for half of the seed and commercial manures used in the crop. 6th. They shall feed and look after the stock, each in rotation on the Sabbath day, and be responsible for the care and condition of the same, bearing one half of all losses incurred from neglect and cruel treatment. two years. SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 7th. They shall make and keep in repair all the fencing of the plantation. Bth. They shall not absent themselves from duty with out permission, must pay for lost time, and yield implicit obedience and respect to the proprietor or his agent. Bth, and finally, They must perform all manner of farm labor required, suoh as splitting of rails, cutting of wood, ditching and cleaning of new ground, faithfully and dili gently until the 25th of December, and the proprietor re" serves the right at all times to call in such additional la bor as may be required during the harvest, or any stage of the crop, said labor to be paid for by the contracting parties. The above is a brief resume of what we regard a libera* contract for farm labor. The latter clause is all essential as putting a check most effectually to idleness and crimnal negligence. The argument is simple. If they who obligate themsel ves to cultivate the <?rop diligently fai. to do so, the pro prietor must take measures to remedy the neglect by out" side assistance. In other words, if they can afford by ids ing to loose their of a good crop, he cannot and should not consent to do so. The limits of this article will not permit any further elaboration of this important subject. We may turn to it again. As above stated, the peculiar surroundings of each planter must of course determine the precise nature and terms of his labor contracts.— Gutkbert Appeal. FARMING. High-farming is always good farming,-but good farming may exist without being high-farmihg. The idea on which high-farming is based is, that every dollar a farmer has invested in his business, whether it is in land, implements, soil-improvements, live stock, or facilities for some spe. cial cultivation, should be made to produce the largest possible yearly income, both in the form of money receiv ed and in the increased value of all stock in trade. As an element of its success it must include a comprehensive and carefully detailed system, which allows no single dol lar’s worth of produce or of opportunities to fail to produce the largest result. This is all that the expression “high farming” really comprises; and truly there is no item in the specification which can be objected to by any farmer in the land. High-farming requires, at least, three things: Ist. A perfect soil. 2d. Buildings and implements exactly adap ted to their uses. 3d, Good means for disposing of the soil’s products. The soil should be, first of all, well drained, either nat urally or artificially, it matters not which. No crop should find its roots checked in their downward passage in search of moisture or nutriment by a subsoil which too much water makes impenetrable by them. Nor should the ra pidity of their growth during the growing season be less ened by the chilling influence of the evaporation of water from the surface of the land. Furthermore, when the time comes to plow, to plant, to harrow, to cultivate, to hoe, or to harvest, the farmer should never be prevented for more than one or two days after the heaviest storm from performing the work because the land is too wet for it. If he is so prevented, the whole plan of his season’s work is thrown out of gear; and he not only fails to make
