VIRGINIA 37 



gives the women their indispensable silks and laces, 

 procures other foreign wares, coffee, tea, sugar, drugs, 

 and everything which is not produced at home. Not- 

 withstanding tobacco is the especial source of the pros- 

 perity of these planters, maize is of no less importance 

 to them. Failure of this most general and essential 

 article of food * makes it necessary for the planter to 

 buy his corn, and he must often fetch it from a distance, 

 if he is not to let his slaves and cattle suffer ; and so he 

 loses more than the profit from their labor on tobacco. 

 It is the very dry summers which especially damage 

 the maize. 



From here we got out of the right road, but were not 

 aware of it because for as much as half a day, on a 

 great, broad road, nobody met us but a few simple 

 negroes whose geography seldom takes in more than 

 their master's plantation. We passed Cedar-run at a 

 place which might have been dangerous from many 

 deep holes, had we not been so fortunate as to hit by 

 chance upon the right ford, a narrow one. To set us 



* Regarding maize, so important in American husbandry, 

 see Kalm's description, Maize in North America, its Culture 

 and Uses, Schwed. akadem. Abhandl. XIII This is the grain 

 of the indolent. Each stalk has commonly 2-3 ears, and each 

 ear 3-500 grains. It is a bad crop-year when the yield is not 

 200 for one. Two bushels of seed are enough to supply a 

 large household. The grain stands much untowardness of 

 weather. The leaves are eaten readily by cattle. Maize alone 

 does not make good bread, but is mixed with wheat, rye, or 

 barley. Porridge and broth from maize are called by the 

 English Homany, by the French Sagamite, and by the Indians 

 Sapaan. From maize-groats and maple-sugar the Indians 

 prepare their Quitzera, a strength-food, which they use on 

 long journeys. 



