In reply to Henry Wiencek interesting data, I doubt his interpretation of 190 M corn holes = 190,000 holes & 170 M tobacco hills = 170,000 hills. The corn holes figure may be correct, but 170,000 tobacco hills--here I am presuming the hills in which tobacco plants were gestated in or near the barn before the end of frosts--is way too much tobacco. Even if 15 slaves could build the hills, they would not have been able to cultivate 170,000 X 10 (or 20) plants in the fields: perhaps as much as 800 acres of tobacco. From what I have seen, corn production on tobacco farms, covered anywhere from 8 to 20 times the amount of land devoted to tobacco production in Virginia. (I am sure someone has more accurate figures than I am spewing from my memory here.) The labor investment in tobacco was so much greater than the labor investment in corn, I think these numbers boggle my mind. Washington was an extraordinary individual, but I have genuine doubts that he could make his hands produce tons of saleable tobacco. Date sent: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 14:52:50 -0500 From: Henry Wiencek <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: VA-HIST Digest - 10 Dec 2001 to 13 Dec 2001 (#2001-218) To: [log in to unmask] Send reply to: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history <[log in to unmask]> > 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. > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions > at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html Harold S. Forsythe Assistant Professor History Director: Black Studies Fairfield University Fairfield, CT 06430-5195 (203) 254-4000 x2379 To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html