Robert Carter writes to his manager, Robert Jones of Prince William County, December 4, 1728, to chastise him for his "abundance of words" and lack of action, and to let Jones know that he has a good candidate to replace him. He will give Jones one more year but if Jones is planning to move, he wishes to know at once so that he may hire the candidate. He then turns to the disappointing wheat crop and poor quantities of tallow. He gives specific instructions for the herding of his hogs down from plantation to plantation, noting that he has promised certain of the hands that they may come "down" at Christmas, and they could herd the hogs. He writes of the need to present the deeds for lots in Falmouth to the county court, and hopes that Jones and two other witnesses to the deeds will be present.

     I am now upon yours of the 7th of November if abundance of
words would Answer the want of Deeds I must Allow you would pass for one
of the best managers I ever had to do with but where there wants performan=
ces this wordy talent is of little value in my esteem I shall only tell you upon
your huge promises I Shall adventure to make a trial of you one year long
[e] r that is to enter into Fresh Articles with you when your last year is up
although I have now the offer of a very good man to come into your place
[who] has behaved himself very well in business of the same nature with
yours And is clear of A Burthensome family which you know is no sm-
all charge to me in yours being so large so that it is very much in consider-
tion of the straights you would be Under that brings me into the humor
of continuing you Another year And therefore if you will be so cheerful &
easy Under a present remove as you seem to hint I am very willing you sho-
uld take your leave of me as soon as you have performed the conditions
of your last years Agreement and this I would have you Advise me of by the
first Opportunity that I may close with the person now Offering himself
of whose both industry and Ability I have a very good Opinion

     I shall now take into consideration the Accot you
send me of the Wheat and other things you tell me of Seven Bushels and
one half I spent which was very great House keeping considering I was so
Much of my time at the Out quarters but that I do not Much mind it
more Concerns me that you have sowed no more certainly there might
have four or five bushels been sowed there as well as At the Other quarters
especially considering How convenient the Wheat there is the crops
at the Other quarters fall a great deal short of what the overseers told me
some of them at Least Sabin talked of a hundred Bushels so did Willia [ms]
at the least and So did Cassety the Butter pots are a pretty many in
number they are most of them but small I wish you had Added the

     The number of Hogs you tell me you reckoned upon to be
fattened at the several quarters amount to 86 Out of these After the over=
seers have their Share some for the people and what will be for your
provision I hope you will be able to Afford me Fifty or at Least near it
And I would have of the best of them too Some meat must be kept for
Hurst while he is at work Upon the Town houses Now I am upon
that Subject it is proper to let you know that I have got a promise of Mr
Chichester to get what Fraiming Stuff I have Occasion for off of h [is]
Land for my buildings at the Town which will save a great deal of La [bour]

     The Tallow you send me Down is of very different weights your beef
yielded 31 pounds the RichLand 33 pounds and one half the Park 18 3/4 pounds and the Pop
lar but 14 1/4 pounds. yours and RichLand is a great deal short of what I
Used to have but Certainly Williams & Sabin have played the rogue
egregiously in their Tallow

     What Hogs I am to have I must have them Drove down to me
and I would have them come in Two parcels as Roger Oxford indeed pro
posed to Me to be the best way its very common to the Southward to drive
Hogs as far they put them into Large enclosures three or four days be=
fore they set off with them and Drive them about with Horses and
then they tell me they manage them with a great deal of ease there are
Several Gentlemen in the way that I dare say would Afford them con
veniencys for a Night As Major Thornton Colonel Smith there is Colonel
Pages Quarter at Nansatico where particular Orders are given to give enter=
tainment . to my Overseers and Hogs then there is the head of
Nomini Next to that my Fieldings and my Morattico Quarters and so down to the
Office these Stages in My thoughts will make the Matter Easy I have
promised Ben and Jacob and the Carpenter boys that they shall come
down this Christmas to see their relations I reckon about that

     I have bought Innis's land the Deeds are executed I had
once intended to send them to you to get them Acknowledged but I was exp
ecting to be up at this Court I thought it more proper to send them to Major
Thornton I have also sent to him mine and my familys Deeds for the town
Lots in Order to their being Acknowledged our best Lawyers Assure me
it is Absolutely necessary to be done three of the Witnesses Appearing and giv=
ing their testimony to the Execution of the Deeds confirms the title and no
thing less will do you that are the Evidences at least three of you I hope will
not fail to Appear at the Court for this purpose and I reckon all that have
bought Lots will be willing to have the same Security

     I hope the Overseers Shelton and Threadkill are with you
before now and roundly at their business I hope they will prove a Couple
of brisk fellows in your next you will be Able to give me a near Account of your
Crops both of corn and Tobacco my crops of Corn here are Considerable Lar
ger even than they were Last year I shall be glad to find yours so too

     I have sent by Charles Brent Murdocks Deed to be delivered
with your Approbation the Charges of it I shall make you Debtor for

     I hope Hurst is upon my Town house Ding dong I have
bought Innis's land for money Am Under no Obligation of building anything
for him