Дванадцять років рабства

           Hehadbeenadriverandoverseerinhisyoungeryears,butatthistimewasinpossessionofaplantationonBayouHuffPower,twoandahalfmilesfromHolmesville,eighteenfromMarksville,andtwelvefromCheneyville. ItbelongedtoJosephB.Roberts,hiswife’suncle,andwasleasedbyEpps. Hisprincipalbusinesswasraisingcotton,andinasmuchassomemayreadthisbookwhohaveneverseenacottonfield,adescriptionofthemannerofitsculturemaynotbeoutofplace. 

           Thegroundispreparedbythrowingupbedsorridges,withtheplough—back-furrowing,itiscalled. Oxenandmules,thelatteralmostexclusively,areusedinploughing. Thewomenasfrequentlyasthemenperformthislabor,feeding,currying,andtakingcareoftheirteams,andinallrespectsdoingthefieldandstablework,preciselyasdotheploughboysoftheNorth. 

           Thebeds,orridges,aresixfeetwide,thatis,fromwaterfurrowtowaterfurrow. Aploughdrawnbyonemuleisthenrunalongthetopoftheridgeorcenterofthebed,makingthedrill,intowhichagirlusuallydropstheseed,whichshecarriesinabaghungroundherneck. Behindhercomesamuleandharrow,coveringuptheseed,sothattwomules,threeslaves,aploughandharrow,areemployedinplantingarowofcotton. ThisisdoneinthemonthsofMarchandApril. CornisplantedinFebruary. Whentherearenocoldrains,thecottonusuallymakesitsappearanceinaweek. Inthecourseofeightortendaysafterwardsthefirsthoeingiscommenced. Thisisperformedinpart,also,bytheaidoftheploughandmule.