Sea Island Plantation Owners .....Read the American Agricultural Magazine
Scientific land management is not term that lands easily on the ear when hearing about plantation life in the early 1800s.
Scientific land management is not term that lands easily on the ear when hearing about plantation life in the early 1800s.
Contrary to many preconceptions, the sea island plantation owners had much more to do than sit on the porch and sip some form of " southern comfort".
These owners needed to manage the condition of the land as well as the sale of crops produced on their 300-400 acre plantations.
Plantation crop selection needed to accomplish the replenishment of the land, provide an inflow of cash and provide food for the table. This was not a simple task.
Typically, Sea Island Cotton, the cash crop needed to be the primary crop to provide a source of cash. If needed, this cash could be used to buy food stuffs in case the "provisioning" food crops suffered a poor yield.
Commercial fertilizers were not generally used during these years and the owner would replenish the soil chemistry by rotating crops, laying acreage aside and by having mud and salt marsh grass tilled into the soil in the off season. Another innovative solution was to place movable cow pens in a field where straw, mud and the tendency of cattle to add fertilizer could be turned into the soil as the cattle move about.
The owner kept at least two sets of books. One book was to keep track of the crop productivity, fertilizer applications, crop rotation and amounts of acreage planted with each crop. He also kept track of the temperatures, rain amounts, late and early frosts and the proper sequence of planting times for each crop.
A second book was maintained to account for the transactions that were occurring with the owner's "factor". The "factor" was a representative for the owner typically in Charleston or Savannah. The factor charged a commission ( about 2 1/2% ) for selling the cotton. The factor would also charge for storage, shipment costs and interest and any credit operation that might occur in a lean year. This relationship was interesting in that the plantation owner was always of the opinion that the factor charged too much and the factor was always suspicious of the owner's management skills and crop quality.
The owner paid great attention to the quality of seed being used, and constantly selected the best of his seed for next years crop.
In addition to conversations with other owners to learn of any new ideas, there were trips to other areas to seek out new practices.
These owners needed to manage the condition of the land as well as the sale of crops produced on their 300-400 acre plantations.
Plantation crop selection needed to accomplish the replenishment of the land, provide an inflow of cash and provide food for the table. This was not a simple task.
Typically, Sea Island Cotton, the cash crop needed to be the primary crop to provide a source of cash. If needed, this cash could be used to buy food stuffs in case the "provisioning" food crops suffered a poor yield.
Commercial fertilizers were not generally used during these years and the owner would replenish the soil chemistry by rotating crops, laying acreage aside and by having mud and salt marsh grass tilled into the soil in the off season. Another innovative solution was to place movable cow pens in a field where straw, mud and the tendency of cattle to add fertilizer could be turned into the soil as the cattle move about.
The owner kept at least two sets of books. One book was to keep track of the crop productivity, fertilizer applications, crop rotation and amounts of acreage planted with each crop. He also kept track of the temperatures, rain amounts, late and early frosts and the proper sequence of planting times for each crop.
A second book was maintained to account for the transactions that were occurring with the owner's "factor". The "factor" was a representative for the owner typically in Charleston or Savannah. The factor charged a commission ( about 2 1/2% ) for selling the cotton. The factor would also charge for storage, shipment costs and interest and any credit operation that might occur in a lean year. This relationship was interesting in that the plantation owner was always of the opinion that the factor charged too much and the factor was always suspicious of the owner's management skills and crop quality.
The owner paid great attention to the quality of seed being used, and constantly selected the best of his seed for next years crop.
In addition to conversations with other owners to learn of any new ideas, there were trips to other areas to seek out new practices.
After all this work was done the plantation owner could then sit on his porch, read his subscription to the "American Agriculturist" and sip on a beverage of choice.
Ref: A Social History of the Sea Islands
By Guion Griffis Johnson
UNC Press. 1930
UNC Press. 1930
