Hello Henry,

Perhaps he hired additional seasonal/temporary labor. I believe I've
read about renting slaves and indentured servants from neighbors.

~malinda


Henry Wiencek wrote:

> I'm trying to get a sense of the amount of work done by George
> Washington's slaves and I am coming up with a number I find hard to
> believe.  At his plantation in King William County in April 1763 he
> recorded 190,000 corn holes and 170,000 tobacco hills.  His roster (see
> below) mentions 15 slaves or "Negro sharers" on the place with 2
> overseers, which means each slave did 24,000 hills and holes!  This
> number seems impossible.  Can anyone shed light on this?
>
> Many thanks,
> Henry Wiencek
> Charlottesville
>
> >From "The Diaries of George Washington," vol I, p. 309:
> At my Plantation in King William
>
> 15 Negroe Sharers
> 2 Overseer
> 17 in all
> 126 head of Cattle besides Calves--9 of this spring
> 52 head of sheep besides Lambs--13
> 8 Sows for Breeding
> 16 for Porkers at the Fall
> 18--of 6 Months old
> 32--of 6 Weeks Ditto
> 28 young Pigs
> 102 in all
>
> M 190 Corn holes good Tale.
>
> M 170 Tobo. Hills Do. Do.
>
> M 190 CORN HOLES:
>
> Editor's note: That is, 190,000 corn holes. GW frequently used the roman
> numeral M to indicate one thousand.
>
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