Robert Carter writes to Robert Jones, the chief manager of his properties in the northern part of the colony, October 10 and 14, 1727, to give him extensive instructions about the care and control of the slaves on the properties, the use of the horses and oxen, and the need to get the tobacco prized and rolled before bad winter weather. He is insistent that the houses have lofts where corn, beans, and other crops may be stored, and is pleased with the naming of his farms in the area.

     Yours of the 30th ultimo I shall now consider
as far as it wants an answer your sending but a small quantity
of the wheat now will make the work the heavier hereafter it's a
strange story to hear you complain for want of bags I am sending
up there bags every year I live whatever becomes of them you may
provide sives against another year if you can get them for corn
there is nothing like sowing wheat early my son tells me I sent up
six sack bags last year I have sent for England for padds to save
the horses backs I will endeavour to make three or four to come by
the next sloop to serve for the presant Your design of breaking
more Oxen I like very well and if I forget not will send you some
ropes to manage them

     Mercer is certainly run away if he comes in play
& we can agree I'll buy his land

     You may kill a beaf any where but at the falls & Rich
land those two stocks I reserve for myself

     I don't know your meaning when you ask me to
Spare the wheat made at the falls Quarter when you come to spend thir
ty or forty bushels of when a year you will be above my keeping
ten or a dozen bushels will be the most that ever I shall agree to let
you have per annum Strother had less Johnson & Hedgeman
none at all as for Madagascar Jack I will by no means have
him go to the new design I have many reasons against it if he
be gone order him down toYour quarter and keep him to work
there till you have further orders from me I have better hopes
of the new negro woman than you think for now she hath tasted
of the hardship of the woods she will go near to stay at home whe[re]
she can have her belly full Ballazore is an incorrigeable
rogue nothing less than dismembring will reclaim him I wo=
uld have you outlaw him and get an order of court for tak-
ing off his toes I have cured many a negro of running away by
this means You may have Comings down to your assistance if
you think fit as for Mooney I don't know when he's free nor
what bargain I made with him but I beleive he is to stay till
Christmas you forget to mention what old steers there is to

     I would have you by all means possible get the toba
cco into hogsheads as soon as you can I cannot tell the reason why we
cannot get the Mountain & [Normans] Foard crops prized & rolled before
Christmas & before the dead of the winter comes I need not tell you
what a vast Damage it is to me to have my crops under your
care to roll in the spring of the year I am sure were I in your
place I would not doubt the doing it you have your hogsheads ready
before hand

     When you write your next I expect you will let me
know whats done at the new design if I remember right I order'd the
quarter & the Overseers house to be lofted it is very necessary not only
for the warmth of the houses but to lay the peoples corn up in 'twill
be very necessary that corn be got thither as fast as you can that
they may not be at a pinch when the bad weather comes & the runs are
high I am doubtfull in a wet winter the cedar run will be diffi=
cult to pass I would also have beans carried up thither that the peop
le may live as comfortable as they can and salt to be sure they must
have a good stock laid up the Overseer must have some hogs flesh
& if he has some beaf too from the Park quarter I shall not gru=
dge it him it if he minds his business & I would willingly let the
people have some hogs flesh either from the red Oak or from
the Park that they may have a bit now & then & the fat to gre
ase their Homony I know you will say to do all these things
will be very hard upon your horses especially when the bringing
wheat is to be so soon upon your hands I hope your Oxen will
be very helpfull in getting down your wheat I have a horse at
Mr. Jas: Carters that is young & large he tells me he's in very good
heart & will make a good plantation horse I am apt to think
there may be large hollow gums upon that land that will serve
instead of hogsheads for corn & salt & other things however if you
think it proper you may ^order Hurst & his gang to set up half a
dozen or half a score hogsheads for the use of tht plantation & to be
sure you must provide them well with piggins & pales by what
you write to me of Johnson I conclude you have agreed with
him to be my Overseer at that place I have already ordered

     There is one William Duff a liver in King George County
that is going to seat pretty near Normands ford he proposes to me to take
ten or a dozen barrels of Corn from that quarter & to deliver me
the Same quantity at Jonathan Gipsons at the river side I would not
make him any possitive promise not knowing how far you may
^have engaged your self to England if you think you Can spare it you
may let him have it