A treatise upon husbandry or planting. By William Belgrove. A regular bred, and long experienc'd planter, of the island of Barbados. ; And may be of great use to the planters of all the West-India Islands.

INSTRUCTIONS For the Management of Drax-Hall, and the Irish-hope Plantations: TO Archibald Johnson,

By HENRY DRAX, Esq

I Shall insert some general Rules and Obser|vations, which I have walked by my self, for the Government of the Family both Whites and Black.

1. In the first Place, I must enjoin you, and 'tis my positive Directions, that every Sunday, all the Family of Whites be called in to hear Morning and Evening Prayers; and of other Days, if you have Time and Conveniency. Let a Penalty be put on the absent, either the For|feiture of their Allowance that Week, or what other, you think fit.

2. On your first entring upon the Estate, I would have an exact Inventory taken of all Things on the Plantation, a true Copy of which must be sent me.

3. For your greater Ease, and that you may not be taken off from solely minding the Plan|tation Affairs of planting and making Sugar, and that you may have as little Occasion as possi|ble, of being absent from the Plantation, which I have experimentally found, to be very perni|cious to all Proceedings there, every Person be|ing more diligent in his Employ, when the Master is at home, although he stirs not out of his Chamber, than when he is abroad; there|fore it must be observed for a Rule, that you never be absent from the Plantation, but in Case of Necessity: I say for your greater Ease, I have engaged proper Persons to act in, and do all my Business in Bridge-Town.

4. I hope you will find a sufficient breeding Stock for the plentiful furnishing your Table; but if you find there are not ten good breeding Cows, twelve good laying Turkey Hens, eight Mus|covy Ducks, eighteen good Dunghill Hens, all to be kept for a breeding Stock; then I wou'd have you buy of each Sort to make up the Number.

5. It is my Desire, that not only for the more comfortable Support of your self, and those of my Family as shall eat at Table with you, but also for the Relief of all such, either Whites or Blacks as shall be sick in the Family, that you keep a plentiful Table; for the furnishing of which, I do allow you, the Produce of all the Sheep, Hogs, Turkeys, Dunghill Fowls, Ducks, Pidgeons, &c. none of which shall you ever sell. You must be careful not to be overstocked, es|pecially in Sheep, which are great Tainters, and Destroyers of the Pastures, and consequently very injurious to Cattle; fourteen Ews of the best Sort, will be enough, to keep for breeding, the Ewe Lambs of which must be constantly killed, and the rest made Weathers, and killed as you have Occasion. I wou'd have the Sheep constantly kept at the Hope-Plantation for mak|ing Dung there.

6. For your Supply of Maderia Wine, Salt, Spice, Oatmeal, salt Provisions, and other Ne|cessaries that must be bought for House-keeping, I do not think fit to stint you, being confident of your Moderation and careful Frugality in the Use of them; besides, I know not what Oc|casion there may be, of more than ordinary Ex|pences

for drenching of Horses and Cattle, and for the Relief of sick People, whom I earnestly desire may not want any Thing that's fit for them; the Kitchen being more useful in raising and recovering of Negroes in most Distempers than the Apothecary's Shop; they do well to|gether, but Physick alone without proper Care, and the Help of what the Kitchen affords, does rather injure or destroy, than assist Nature, but I have so great a Confidence in your more than ordinary Care in this Particular, that I shall not further enlarge upon it.

7. For your Supply of Beer, I shall give Di|rections that twice or thrice every Year two Hog|sheads of the best Strong Beer be sent you from London.

8. My Attorneys must be invited by you to view the Plantations once a Year, when they must be well entertained, and you must desire them carefully to inspect every Thing, and shew them all Accounts relating to Plantation-affairs, and acquaint them with all your Schemes and Intentions for the Management and Improve|ment of the Estate, and their Directions and Advice I would have you to observe and follow.

9. I wou'd have to eat at the Table with you, the Person who keeps the general Waste-book and Account of making and dispatching of Rum: The Doctor; the chief Accomptant or Book|Keeper; and also the Head-Curer.

10. You must sometimes, the oftner the bet|ter, call your white Overseers together, to ad|vise and discourse them about the Plantation-Af|fairs; as about what Pieces of Canes or Corn &c. do most want Weeding; what is the next properest Work to fall on; how Canes or Pro|visions stand in such a Piece or Part of the Plan|tation; whether the Watchers of them do their Duty; whether there is any Dung to be pro|vided or saved; or what other Questions you shall think fit to ask them. Besides, the Advan|tage you'l receive in hearing their several Opi|nions, it may give you Information of some Things, which otherwise you might have been ignorant of, and certainly bring several Matters into your Remembrance. You'l by this Means improve all their Judgments in the Affairs of the Plantation, and make them far more dili|gent than they would otherwise have been.

11. It will be necessary to encourage the white Servants according to their Merits, either

by an extraordinary Allowance of Cloaths or Provisions, or if you see Cause, of some Wages.

12. The Doctor must be very skilful, diligent, and humane, for the utmost Care should be taken of all the Sick, many of whom will yearly die if they want good Kitchen Physick, and good looking after.

13. You must never punish to gratify Anger or Passion, the End of Punishments being to re|claim the Malefactor, and to terrify others from committing the like Faults. A wise prudent Man will not be passionate, to Servants especially, for a passionate Man is not fit to judge or to command.

14. Be strict in punishing all Vice, especially Drunkenness, which is frequently the Original of all others, and it is a Vice the Whites are much addicted to; the Stocks or laying them Neck and Heels till they are sober and sensible of their Faults, I have observed to be the pro|perest Punishment for the Crime, Blows gene|rally enrages a drunken Man and makes him fit for any Mischief.

15. If at any Time you take Notice of a Fault

you design to punish, let it be immediately ex|ecuted, especially upon Negroes, many of them chusing to kill themselves to avoid Correction.

16. The Blacks are commonly addicted to Thieving; if it be for their Belly, it is the more excusable, but I hope none of mine will ever have Occasion to be Thieves for Want; but if at any Time they are taken stealing Sugar, Mo|lasses, or Rum, they must be severely handled.

17. There must be the greatest Care imagin|able taken to preserve all Portable Things from being stolen.

18. The Curer has a very great Trust com|mitted to his Charge, therefore you must be very careful to employ not only a skilful and di|ligent Man, but also one that's sober and honest. In order to keep him so, he should be above conversing with the ordinary Servants, for which reason I wou'd have him eat at Table with you, by which Means also you'l have a more fre|quent Opportunity of discoursing with him, and giving him Directions about his Business. You must frequently view his Accounts, also daily see all his Sugar in every Bay. This Diligence of yours will make him fearful of erring by

Neglect or otherwise, well knowing it must be discovered. The Curer must take particular Care to have all the Pots prick'd in the Boiling|House before brought into the Curing-House; he must look to the Jarrs the Pots are set on, that they be both tight and very sweet; in set|ting them up to sort the high boiled Pots from the low, and if there happens to be any very bad Pots in the Parcel to put them by them|selves; but I hope by your Care in the Boiling|House such Mistakes will seldom happen. The Sugar being good and boiled to it's true Heighth, will be ready to break and level in five or six Days Time, which must not be neglected, for the sooner it is knocked out, the sooner it will be Shipped, and the Pots ready to fill again.—There must great Care be taken in setting the Pots level and right for claying, and emptying all the Jarrs of the Molasses, that every Pot may have it's empty Jarr to purge into after being clayed. For such Sugar as happens to be high boiled or bad, you must judge of the time of claying by knocking the Pots out, and if you find them purge three Quarters through, you may immediately level and clay them. As soon as the first Clay is dry, take it off, and let the Sugar the second Time be levelled. You must

chuse for claying Sugar a stiff Clay, and such as shall be free from Gravel, Earth, &c. The Negroes must work the Clay well and strain it through a Cullender, and make it either a thiner or thicker Batter according to the Firmness or Softness of the Sugar that it's to be laid on. If the Sugar be strong and high boiled, it will endure a very thin Batter. Observe for a Rule, that all Sugars whatsoever be clayed both Mus|covado and Paneels, except some Paneels prove bad and too weak to bear a Clay, in such Case you must only Sun dry such Sugar to pay away. For the Time of knocking out Sugar there is no certain Rule; the usual Time is about six Weeks or two Months after claying, but the best Way to be certain, is to knock out several Pots of those Bays that are oldest, and if you find it clear to the Bottom, it's fit to be knock'd out. In knocking out, there must be great Care taken, if the Sugar comes out with Difficulty, as it generally does from new Pots; it must be knock|ed out upon Canvis quilted for that Purpose, and Sometimes dug out to preserve the Pot from breaking. Let your clayed Muscovado be sorted into three or four Sorts according to the Good|ness of it, in which your Head-Curer must be very nice and exact, especially of the white Sorts:

and Paneels into two Sorts, and afterwards very well dryed, for which Purpose you'l find Con|veniencies to dry five thousand Pounds Wt. a Day. It will be the Curers Care to see the Casks he packs the Sugar in, be strong and clean; ••e must be exact in tareing the Casks, which Tare must be put on several parts of the Cask with Chalk. Let every Sort of Sugar be weighed in Bags as it is brought from the Barbacue, which Weight must be put in a Book kept for that Purpose, as also all Sugar daily knock'd out; what Number of Pots; that your knocking out may agree with your weekly Receipts of Pots. Your Curer must be very careful in Packing, that he makes no Mistakes or false Package. Let the Sugar both by ramming and shaking the Cask be as close packed as possible. Besides, comparing the Sorts in packing, the several Sorts must be expressed with Chalk on the Outsides of the Cask. Let all the Sugar (except the Paneels that's bad) be packed up in Casks at the Plantation, and fitted for Shipping before it be sent to the Bridge. As soon as the Casks are filled, let them be headed up and number'd, and immediately Weighed and Tared, and the Sort of Sugar contained in each Cask must be immediately enter'd in a Book kept for that Pur|pose

This the Curer must have a particular Charge to be careful in, that there be no Differ|ence in the Weights when the Sugar arrives at London. As the Sugars are carted to the Bridge, let the Number be expressed in the Book, that you may at any Time know what is sent down.—All Sugar Pots, Jarrs, and all other Necessaries belonging to the Curing-House, must be deli|vered to the Curer by Inventory, for which he must be accountable as follows; for all Pots or Jarrs he delivers out to the Boiling-House, or for any other Use, he must charge the Head|Boilers, or other Persons, who must when that Occasion is serv'd for which they were deliver'd, return them again, and be discharged. These Accounts must be kept in a Book, in which must be inserted all that are broken, the Day when, and by what Accident.

19. For the better Preservation of Plantation Tools and Necessaries, I would have a Room set apart on Purpose to keep them in, which must be divided into small Partitions, for the more orderly keeping each sort apart. In this Room, where all those Necessaries are kept, there must be an exact Account of what's deli|vered out of this Store for Use, as Hoes, Crows,

Wedges for splitting Wood, or Stone Axes, Hatchets, Crosscut-Saws, Skimmers, Basons, Ladles, Straining-Cloths, and all other of the Plantation Necessaries. Whatever is in this Store, charge one of your White-Servants that can Write with, who, in some Book, where a List of the same Things must be kept, must mention, what White or Black by Name, he delivers any of these Particulars to; which when return'd back, must be expressed at the End of every Line, but if not returned, then the said white Receiver, must immediately acquaint you there|with, that you may enquire into the Matter. The oftner you inspect all these Accounts, the more careful you will make the Parties con|cerned. All Tradesmen's-Tools, with other Things not before mentioned, have formerly been kept in the Store-House, by the Book|keeper, and the several Persons concern'd, char|ged with all Things deliver'd, who are account|able for the same.

20. Be sure you keep all the Houses in the Plantations in good Repair, as a short Neglect in this, will treble the Charge and Trouble.—You must take such convenient Opportunities to Repair or erect Buildings, as not to neglect

even one Days Work, in either Planting, Weed|ing, making of Sugar &c.—You should take a convenient Time when Vessels arrive from St. Lucia, and Timber is cheap, to store your self.—Timbers kept in the Plantations as a Reserve, must be Housed and kept dry, and often viewed, lest the Wood-Lice get to them, as they at Times do much Damage to Timber, especially to Locust and Sweet-Wood.—I would have no Timber bought except on absolute Necessity, or that you can meet with it very cheap.—Pre|serve the young Mastick Trees for making Mill|points, as they answer this Use very well.—You should always have a good Stock of Laths lying by you Seasoning, to be ready on Occasion. Sweet-Wood hath generally been made use of in this Plantation: You must try smooth and strait Grain Mastick, which I believe may do well for Laths.—Have always ready at each Plantation for fear of any Accident by Fire, one long Ladder, and two or three shorter, these may be hung against the Wall to the leeward Side of the Stoke-Holes at the Hope, where un|der the Eves they'll be preserved dry, and in the old Cattle-Mill at Drax-Hall Plantation. Let it be a Rule that whoever takes them from thence for any Use, that they return them back again.

21. You must be very careful in the Choice of your Field Overseers, who must besides having a good Command, be very active, diligent, and ingenious, if possible, honest; Negroes so qua|lified under your Directions, will quickly make able Overseers, as it will be your Part to see that there be not too much Severity, or Lenity used by them. Negroes upon their first having a Command are very apt to be severe, which must be strictly guarded against, for I have found it easier to abate the Courage of obstinate Fel|lows, than to raise the Spirits of one that hath been dejected by hard or severe Usage.—There must also be great Care taken to prevent Parti|ality in the black Overseers.

22. There must be especial Care taken in working the Hands, that every Negro doth his Part according to his Ability, the weak Hands must not be pressed, nor the Strong suffered to shrink from their Work. Many Negroes will be apt to Lurk and Meech from their Work, without great Care be taken to prevent it.

23. The best Way that I know of to prevent Idleness, and to make the Negroes do their Work properly, will be upon the change of Work, constantly to Gang all the Negroes in the Plantations in the Time of Planting. All the

Men Negroes into two Gangs, the ablest and best by themselves for Holeing and the stronger Work, and the more ordinary Negroes in a Gang for Dunging, &c. The Women Negroes also into two Gangs as before, and the lesser Ne|groes into two Gangs, the least to be followed by some careful old Woman, who must use them with Gentleness. Out of these six Gangs of Negroes must the Carters, Stillers, Curing|House Negroes, Cooks, Lookers after Stock, Watchers of Provisions, &c. be drawn. Your Under-Overseer must constantly have a List of the Gang under his particular Care, that he may be able to give a particular Account of every one, whether Sick or how employed. In the Time of grinding Canes after your Watches for your Mills, Boiling-House, and Cane-cutting Gangs are taken out, all the rest of the Negroes, except the smallest Gangs, must be Listed into a running Gang for getting Home and Houseing all sorts of Fuel. The Reason why all the Ne|groes are to be Listed is, because other Employ|ments are uncertain, and when there is no Oc|casion for Negroes to be in the Still-House, Curing-House, &c. then they must constantly make their Appearance in the running Gang, of which when the Number is great, it will be ne|cessary to have two Overseers, and the able Ne|groes

divided from the weaker. This Method will be most effectual to prevent lazy Negroes absenting from their Work.—I had commonly every Fortnight, and sometimes oftner, a List brought me where every Negro in the Plantation was employed; which Custom will be for your Ease and Satisfaction to continue.

24. For the enabling Negroes to go through their Work with Chearfulness, there must be great Care taken that they have Plantation Pro|visions enough, besides the constant Provision|Ground of their own. The Quantity and the most convenient Place for the Negroes Gardens you must allot, which should be in the out Skirts of the Plantation. Besides enough of Plantation Provisions, which the Negroes must not by any Means want for their most comfortable Support; every Negro must have Weekly, one Pound of Fish or Mackrel. Overseers and Head-Boilers must have double that Allowance: And every Negro must have two Quarts of Molasses Week|ly, or more if needful: and twice or thrice a Year or oftner if you see Occasion, when To|bacco is cheap, two or three Hundred Weight must be bought and distributed amongst all the Negroes, who must be furnished with Salt whenever they want it. Twice or thrice a Year

give a Barrel of Palm-Oyl if easily to be procu|red, amongst them. Once every Year supply the Men-Slaves with Drawers, Shirts, Jackets and Monmouth Caps; and the Women with Petticoats, Jackets and red Caps. For Encou|ragement to particular Negroes, give what you think fit. In wet Weather give Rum to each Negro every Morning; and at other Times as you shall see convenient, according to their early Rising, or the Work they are about.

25. If you don't find a sufficient Number of working Negroes to carry on conveniently the Business of the Plantations to the Heighth, you must prudently buy a proper Number at a Time; I do not think it at all profitable to buy Lot Ne|groes. I suppose to supply the Place of those that shall be decayed or dye, you'l want a Yearly Recruit of ten or fifteen, or it may be (if by any contagious Distemper there happens a great Mortality, which I beseech the great GOD of his Mercy to keep you from) twenty or more may be wanting, which must be supplied. Let all you buy, be choice young Negroes who will be fit for present Service. I have observ'd the Caramantines, and Gold-Coast Slaves, have al|ways stood and proved best on my Plantations, therefore you'l do well rather to buy those than of any other Sorts.

26. The Horses you'l find on the Plantations, with those you carry with you, will I hope, be sufficient to make up two good Teams; if not, by ••••••ing these make up at least that Number, which I suppose will (besides working on Occa|sion i•• the Plantations) be sufficient to carry down all my Sugar to Bridge-Town: Horses, if sober careful Men do not attend them, are in|cident to many Casualties.

27. You know ••••••y well the Necessity of a good Stock of working Cattle for carrying on the Plantation-Busin••••••; and that no Cattle do so well on my Plantations, as those bred on them, therefore there must be especial Care tak|en in the raising of Calves. I have observ'd, that the best Way is to let them run with the Cows, and have all the Milk, by which Means they become more hardy and large; therefore I wou'd not have above three Cows kept for the Pail; the rest for breeding, which sometimes when they are not big, or have Calves sucking, may also in Case of Necessity be work'd. I wou'd have a good Bull kept for the Cows. I have observ'd if Cattle have Food enough, they can't be over work'd, especially in the dry Time when the Roads are good, therefore must en|join you to be extraordinary careful of having

all the Cattle kept in good Pastures all Day, and fully Meated at Night, especially the working Cattle, which ought to have Corn allowed them, particularly in the wet Time of the Year; there is a great Conveniency by feeding of Cattle with Cane-tops, Abundance of which on the Pens, makes a great Quantity of good Dung. When you have decayed Cattle that are old and past Labour, I wou'd either have you seed them or sell to the Butchers (at which Time you may reserve a roasting Piece for your own Use) or in Case you can't conveniently feed them, you may sell them lean, but put none forth to the halfs.—A sure Way to know when Cattle are well and sufficiently Meated at Night is, when you find Cane-tops next Morning in several Parts of the Pen untouch'd; if Cattle are Neglected they will dye of the Murrain, which follows Poverty and Hunger in Cattle.

28. Besides your particular Care of visiting the Stable frequently when the Horses are at home, you must have an especial Care to get honest and able Carters, whom as much as may be, must be kept from the Acquaintance of Carters on the Road, who are generally very idle Fellows, and apt to spoil by their bad Examples, those that otherwise would be honest.

29. You will find the Asses useful to you on many Occasions, especially for bringing Wood up the Hill into Places proper for the Carts. Great Care must be taken of the Asses, and diligent and skilful Drivers provided for them.

30. For the beginning of the Crop you must lay Mold 1 & ½ Foot thick all over the Hole, that is every Year made Use of for that Purpose adjoining to the Still-House, over which spread the Ashes from the Stoke-Holes, and let into it the Liquor from the Stills when no longer fit to be return'd into the Cistern, which Liquor when it has overflown the whole Place, and lain so two Months, the Dung should be taken out and laid into a convenient Place for Carts to load; thus by twice digging, the Earth and Ashes will be very well mixed together. This by certain Experience I know to be excellent Manure for Canes, and being repeated three or four Times a Year, will produce great Quantities of Dung, which if you have time should be carted into the Pieces you intend to use it in, before the Ex|tremity of the wet Weather comes in, at which Time neither the Cattle or Horses can do half as much even with double toiling; and for the greatest ease of Carting, all the bad Places in the most used broad Paths of the Plantation, should

at convenient Times be well mended with great Stones, or what other Way you shall think most convenient.

31. Your next Care must be to produce good Piants, of which you must have for both Plan|tations at least Twenty Acres every Year; for this you must make use of the best and newest Land in the remote Parts of both Plantations.

32. There is no producing good Canes with|out dunging every Hole, therefore it must be one of your chiefest Cares to provide sufficient Quantities of Dung every Year. At Drax-Hall you'l seldom want Dung for those Pieces that lye nigh the Work, for besides the Still-House and Stables, the Cattle fed at home, where are also Hogstyes, which Places by often Trashing will afford much Dung; and for remote Pieces, I would have a Lime-kiln built at the Bottom of the old House, that being nigh great Quan|tities of Stone and the greatest Part of the Wood, where you may burn Lime very easily, which being carried to the Land where you intend to use it, and there mix'd in a Bed with Bottom Earth, or rather Loom (which is to be found in many Bottoms) where it is to lye some Time till it be dissolved, and the Loom become mel|low. I am told and am very confident, this

Method will make very excellent Manure for Land, and the cheapest you can use for Land that lies at a Distance from the Works. This Conveniency you'l want at the Hope, there being little or no Wood, which must therefore be otherways supplied by your Industry.

33. I do suppose two Hundred Acres of Canes to be as little as you ought to plant well in both Plantations every Year; the best Way for plant|ing according to my Observation, is in Rows of four Feet and half Distance; this Space betwixt the Rows will give the Holers Room enough to make large and deep Holes, which must be con|stantly done.

34. The Dung-Carriers are to lay a large Box or Basket well heaped up with Dung be|twixt every two Holes, which by the Planters, after they have prepared a good Bed in the Bot|tom of each Hole, and carefully placed the Plants, must equally divide and spread over the Plants of the two adjoining Holes, which must again be cover'd slightly with Mold.

35. In the planting Bottoms you must observe to raise Beds of every two Rows of Canes, by which Means there will be Gutters to convey the Water to the Trench that must lead to the

Hole you have dug in the lower Part of the Bot|tom amongst the Rocks for the drawing the Water off; without this Course be taken you'l not get Canes to grow in Bottoms, which gene|rally is the best Land.

36. The Planters must observe at first plant|ing (especially if the Season be very wet) not to cover their Plants too thick, which often kills or choaks the Plants, and when they are in a flat or level Piece of Land where the Water doth not quickly drain off, they must be directed to make the Bed to lay the Plants on, at least level with the Top of the Earth, otherwise if the Plants be not quite killed, they will be so chilled with the Water that lies in the Hole, that the Cane will never thrive.

37. After you have taken Care to Hole, dung, and plant well, it will be Labour lost, unless you take Care to keep the Land clean; therefore let it be observed for a Rule, that rather than let the Weeds in any Part of the Plantation run to ripe Seed, that you leave all Works whatever and go to weeding; one Month's Neglect thereof will double your Labour, and especially in Provision|Land.

38. In weeding of young Canes after they are well come up, I have found it very beneficial to

draw the Banks of Mold and Trash that lie be|tween the Rows over the Stocks of the Canes; there must be Care taken they be cut very close to the Ground, especially such as you let stand for another Crop, otherwise they'l spring up too thick, and come to nothing but Trash.

39. Before you begin to grind Canes be careful to have all the Mills well fixed, besides which, there should be a spare Sett of Points and Arms well fixed and tarred at each Work, lying by to be ready on Occasion; also you must have spare Coggs for the Mills, and at least one spare Sett of Sails to change upon Occasion, if those up should want mending, by doing of which in Time, the Sails will be much preserv'd and last much longer.

40. Be sure that all Beds of the Mills, Cis|terns, and Gutters be very tight, which must be kept very sweet and clean, whilst you are at work, by often washing and scalding to avoid tainting the Liquor.

41. You must be sure to place at the Mills, such Feeders, as by their Care, Diligence and Skill, shall make the best Use of the Wind, so as not to loose, if possible, the Opportunity of grind|ing a Cane, for if the Feeders do their Part, all the other Negroes belonging to the Work must

do theirs, therefore you must have for each Work a diligent Overseer of the Mills, who be|sides seeing all the Negroes do their Duty, must be very careful to keep the Mills in the Wind, the Sails in good Trim, and the Gudgeons, Shafts, Collars, and Coggs very well greased, of which you must never be unprovided.

42. If there be never so great Diligence used to provide a great Crop, yet if there is either Neglect, or Want of Skill in the Boiling-House, the Profit will be little, therefore the greatest Care imaginable must be there used, and the most of your Time be there spent. It is the chief Part of a good Planter to be well skilled in the best Method of dispatching and making great Weeks Works, and also in true tempering, cleaning, and ordering the Liquor for making good Sugar.

43. Be careful before you begin to Work that every Thing be in good Order in the Boiling|House; the Coppers all well hung and in good Repair, and well faced with Lead, which must be very thick: That your Coolers, Basons, Skimers and Ladles are in good Repair.

44. You must provide good Store of Fuel against you begin. Lime enough for the Crop,

and all the Ashes you can save or procure from the Pot-House.

45. All the Coppers and Leaden Beds must be scowered and washed clean, and so kept by scow|ering and scraping as often as you have Occasion.

46. There must be Care taken in clarifying, that the Liquor has its due tempering; if there be a Mistake in the clarifying, it is hard to be rectified in the rest of the Coppers, therefore the Head-Boiler of each Work must have a particu|lar Care of clarifying, and upon their Neglect to be severely punished.

47. The Coppers being well hung, if you have good Fuel, each Copper will require a Negro, who must be very diligent and industrious to skim every Copper as the Liquor passes along to the skipping Tatches. If the Liquor hath its due Proportion of Temper at first, and the Cop|pers boil well, by often beating the Liquor down, the Filth will rise, that the Syrrup may be made very clean, without dashing of Temper in the smaller Coppers, which the Negroes cannot dis|creetly use, therefore must never be done, with|out your self, or the Head-boiler finds it necessa|ry. When it comes to the third Copper from the skipping Tatch, the Liquor must be well

strain'd, and by all Means be made clean, other|wise it will never purge well and turn white under Clay. In the Skipping there must be great Care in the exact Heighth; if it happens to be low there is great loss, an error on the other side is more excusable; the greatest Inconveniency of being a little too high is, that the Sugar will take a little longer Time in curing.

48. The Head-boiler's Care will be also to see the Sugar potted in due Time, if it is potted somewhat too hot it may be remedied by stiring in the Pot, the Inconveniency of potting cold is without Remedy, therefore not to be suffer'd.

49. It will be the Potters Care to have all the Pots very well washed, and if new, well soaked, and just before the potting to wet the Inside very well with Temper, otherwise the Pot will be in great Danger of breaking by the difficult knock|ing out of the Sugar.

50. As soon as the Sugar in Pots is grown cold and hard, it must immediately be set on Jarrs, the Neglect of which will be injurious to the Sugar.

51. It will be convenient every Morning to clear the Boiling-House by carrying all the Pots of Sugar that have been set upon Jarrs into the Curing-House.

52. All Negroes being much addicted to Steal|ing, to prevent their p••lfering Sugar or Molasses out of the Boiling-House, the Overseer of each Work should constantly keep the Door shut and the Key in his Pocket, more especially if he is obliged to be out of the Boiling-House.

53. When you are at full Work, return the Skimmings of the Tatches and adjoining Cop|pers into the Clarifiers, but if the Mill furnish Liquor but for Par•• of the Coppers, you must clarify and boil the Skimmings by themselves, or with Molasses. The Skimmings of the great Cop|pers must be thrown down to the Still-House; the Gutters that lead to the Still-House must be kept in good Repair, and very often in the Time of working inspected, least they should be stop|ped, which by Reason of thick Skimmings from the Clarifiers that are flung down, is very apt to be done.

54. The Wood Stokers who have most lei|sure should be charged with keeping the Gutters leading to the Still-House clean and open, and punished if not careful.

55. The Still-House if well taken Care of, brings very considerable Profit with little charge, therefore must be diligently minded. I hope you will find the Still-Houses well fitted with Cis|terns,

Stills, Worms, Pumps, Gutters, and all other Necessaries, all which must be constantly kept in good Order and well fixed.

56. Your Stillers must not only be skilful in the quick preparing and fitting the Liquor, but must be also very diligent to take it at the exact Time, and active in running it off with great Expedition. It is by this Means that great Quantities of Rum is made. If at any Time you have a Servant that's fit to undertake the important Charge of an able Distiller, it will be necessary that you allow him some yearly Sum for his Encouragement according to his Merit. All Necessaries belonging to the Still-House, as Tubs, Pails, Anchors, with all other Casks and Jarrs, are to be delivered to the Charge of the Stiller, who is to be accountable for them in like Manner as the Curer.

57. As the Rum is daily sent up, let an exact Account be kept of it in a Tally, and every Week the Stiller must take the Rum-Keeper's Receipt in a Book, which is to be kept for that Purpose. Let the Rum be disposed of, and an Account kept thereof.

58. Your Stiller must observe for a Rule, that if at any Time he hath Occasion to be absent or asleep, he then have the Still-House Door lock|ed and the Key in his Pocket to prevent the Ne|groes

thieving, which they never miss any Op|portunity of doing.

59. After the first Crop Canes are all broke, which is possible, should be finished before the wet Seasons set in, and all Provision Land clean|ed and planted; the next Work must be to fit the Cane Land for planting, and prepare Dung. The remote pieces that will be least dung'd ought to be first planted, that they may have all the timely Seasons to grow in. After your first Crop Canes are finished your second Crop may be play|ed with, so that you ought not to neglect the proper Season for planting, for the Sake of mak|ing a little Sugar at so great a Disadvantage as you must do, if you work in wet Weather; besides, there is no great Fear of having sufficient Inter|vals of dry Weather, during the Seasons of Rain, as to give you an Opportunity to run out your second Crop, but if it shou'd happen otherwise, I shall not think it a Disadvantage, except you should want the Land for planting, or the Pieces lye so, that it will much disorder the Method you have designed, to have forty or fifty Acres of second Crop left to begin the next Crop with.

60. The Cistern for receiving Molasses must be bept very clean and sweet, and the Molasses boiled up, if possible, every Week. If by grind|ing you are hinder'd of that, you must boil it as

often as you possibly can with conveniency, for the fresher the Syrrups are the better will the Pancels be.

61. When you have Time, let every Sugar|Pot be well hoop'd; to keep the Hoops on, they should with Monjack boiled up with Lamp-Oyl to a convenient Heighth, be daubed over.

62. You will constantly have Occasion for four Wain Tumbrels, and two Horse Tumbrels, one Horse Cart and a Waggon, for the Plantation Use, which must be constantly kept in good Re|pair; and when not in Use, be housed. For the continual maintaining of these, you must have two Pair of Wheels lying by ready fitted, Velloes, Spokes, and Axle-trees ready hewn for five or six Pair more; and some Quantity of Tim|ber fit for Cart Spokes will be much wanting.

63. If the Moon shines in the beginning of the Night, dispatch your Carts about 3 o'Clock in the Afternoon; and if it shines the latter Part of the Night, dispatch them from the Planta|tion about 2 in the Morning, by which Means, they will avoid the Heat of the Day in their Travelling, which certainly is destructive both to the Horses and Cattle, and may prevent the Acquaintance with bad Carters.

64. To keep your Carters in better Awe, it will be convenient sometimes to set a Spy over

them, and if you hear they loiter at any House by the Way, or of any other Misconduct, then punish them moderately and prudently according to the Nature of the Crime, by which Means they will be more fearful of offending: but if they approve themselves to be careful and dili|gent, give them all proper Encouragement.

65. I would have all my Rum sent to Town, and none sold at the Plantation, except on Ac|count of Workmen that belong to the Planta|tion; and would have all Necessaries for the Estate bought by the Town Agent, therefore send to him on all Occasions for what you want; he will also ship and dispose of all my Sugars, which must be sent to him, and none sold at the Plantation, only if you should at any Time have Occasion to buy any Plantation Provisions (which I hope will happen very rarely) which will be more convenient for you to buy to save Carriage, and should be bought as near home as possible. For paying for Provisions and all Workmen, you may have Occasion to employ in the Plantations, my Town Agent will furnish you with Money. A particular exact Account must constantly be sent you by the Town Agent of all he receives from, and sends to the Plantations with the Pri|ces of each Article, and of all other Particulars necessary to be known, and each Particular must

be regularly entered in a Book to be kept at the Plantation for your Discharge, and as a Charge upon him.

66. It is my Advice, that you yearly put some remote Cane Fields of Drax Hall Plantation in|to Potatoes, which being well trash'd, seldom fails of producing great Quantities of Potatoes. At the Hope Plantation put some remote Cane piece into Bonavis, which being dung'd (besides the Advantage of the Pulse) will so fit the Land for Canes against another Year, as to make it produce good Canes with indifferent Dunging.

67. When you want Fuel, I would have you cut the Wood and Bushes adjoining to the old Plantain Walk, some Quantity of which Land, I would have planted with Plantain Trees, in doing which, you must observe to take the Plants from the Stalks of small Plantains, that being a better Sort, and will produce the larger Bunches. Plan|tains is a Provision the Negroes much delight in, and is a very wholesome Food, especially in Fluxes, and they produce greatly in the Years when there are no very high Winds.

68. As all Sorts of Provisions are subject to Casualties, some will be destroyed by Worms and Flies, and all by long Droughts, therefore 'tis my positive Directions, that you have constantly a Reserve of ten or fifteen Acres of Casavy, for fear

of other Provisions failing, that being more cer|tain, and will lie four or five Years in the Ground, and still improve, and therefore to be depended on. Your Casavy Pieces should be near the Plan|tain Walk, that one Watch may look after both. Observe for a Rule, that as you dig the Casavy, constantly to plant the Land again, by which Means you'l never want.

69. There must be Care taken to plant all the Land you can, with Corn, without which neither Horses or Cattle will be able to perform their Work; and when there is no Want of Corn, every Thing in the Plantation will be fat, it be|ing very good Food for the Negroes.

70. Whenever you plant Corn among Canes, observe to plant the Rows at double Distance, especially if you plant Guinea Corn among Canes, in which Case you must always take Care to thin it, and not to suffer above two or three Stalks at most to grow from one Hole, otherwise it will much prejudice the Canes.

71. There are some Pieces in the Out-skirts of the Plantation rocky, barren, and fit for little, but Guinea Corn, which after the Corn is gathered affords good Pasture, and therefore should be planted if you have Time yearly, but for Want of your being able to do it yearly, you must take the best Care of it, for second Crop, as Guinea Corn produces a good second Crop.

72. After you have fallen Land enough be|low the Hill, either let your new Land as you fall it, run again to Wood, or plant the like Quantity of Land in some other Part with Fid|dle-Wood-Trees, which will be no Hindrance for some Years, to the planting of it at least with Guinea Corn.

73. Let the leeward Side of all Divisions of Canes be planted with Fiddle-Woods; you must observe to keep the young Woods for some Years after planting clean from Vines, otherwise the Growth will be extremely hinder'd, if the Wood is not quite destroyed by them.

74. I would have you in your Plantain-Walk, to plant as you can get the Nuts, five hundred or two thousand Palm-Oyl-Trees, and in the Gar|den at home the first Season that happens, plant five hundred sower, five hundred sweet, and five hundred China Orange Trees, and forty or fifty Shadocks, which must be planted at convenient Distances, and in strait and good Order. Plant also one hundred Citron-Trees, and one hundred sower Lemon-Trees of the best Kind.

75. On the first of January, I would have an Inventory taken of all Things whatsoever in the Plantation, and the same fairly entered in a Book to be kept for that Purpose called the Book of Records, in which must be also kept by Way of

Debit and Credit, according to the Method there appointed by my Father Sir JAMES DRAX, an Account of the Increase and Decrease of the Stock (viz.) what born, bought or received, also what dead, worn out, or disposed of; in which Book must be entered a brief Account of all the Sugars, the Quantity of Pots made and knock'd out, and the Sorts, all the weekly Accounts of Rum made, and how disposed of, what is yield|ed and how disposed of, and also an Abstract of all the Expences of the Plantation according to the Form prescribed, a Copy of all which I wou'd have sent me to London by the first Ves|sel that sails after the first Day of January. I would also have Quarterly Accounts of the Plan|tation Debits and Credits sent me by convenient Opportunities. Also send me every Year as soon as you have done planting, the Number of the Pieces planted, according to the Plats of each Plantation, and at the same Time mention the Number of Acres you have to break the ensuing Year in every Piece, in which you must distin|guish the first from the second Crop Canes.

76. I shall not further enlarge, than by ad|ding my most hearty Prayers to the great GOD for his Blessing on all your Undertakings, and assuring you of my being your cordial and affec|tionate Friend

Henry Drax.