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corn will yield 6 or 8 bushels per acre. Just over the fence, three families of white refugees from Alabama have excellent crops.  Chiefly because they worked them well & in time.

Many in the county have advanced largely, & I have no doubt, honestly to their employees. That some have acted unfairly - alas! for poor human nature - is quite likely.

The Negroes, under reasonable encouragement from yourself or the proper authority, could pay all of their indebtedness, without touching their share of the crops.  But, unless "urged" to do so, &that very plainly, they will not.

In the one case, they will take advantage of your order (No. 13?) to the full. Will dispute every claim - that is, many will do so.  Will thereby generate and aggravate bad  feeling on both sides.  Will idle away the long autumn that is before them, consuming what little they have made, and depredating upon the little that is left to the white man.  Will enter upon another year without employment & without means to rent or to buy or to work land.  There has been a great & unusual amount of sickness amongst them, & they are largely indebted for medical attendance & medicines.

On the other hand, if an order was issued, requiring your officers throughout the country to point out to the Negroes, the absolute necessity that exists for their working out, as far as possible, upon the plantations & farms on which they are employed and working, the amount of their indebtenesses, so as if possible to save to themselves and for their future use, their share of the crops made or wages earnt, many would take jobs of work that would otherwise not do so.

In my own case, even $75. has become a sum of no little consequence. It would pay for the making of 10,000 rails

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