VIRGINIA 39 



blooms very early and late malicious frosts are often 

 very damaging.* In Virginia, therefore, cyder is not 

 so general a drink as in Maryland and Pensylvania. 



Of the 4000 acres which the Captain owns, only a 

 very small part has been made tillable for he himself, 

 through his negroes, finds it impossible to work the 

 whole or put it to use. He has a few Lease-holders, f 

 and wished there were more of them, because with 

 them one may grow rich without work. He would 

 prefer Germans for tenants, but so long as land is to 

 be bought in the interior of America these will be wise 

 enough not to spend their sweat on any land that is not 

 their own, even if they must be content with very little. 



* Late Spring-frosts, which in the middle and southern prov- 

 inces often come very unexpectedly, spoil the hopes of the 

 farmer commonly, and rob him of the fruit his full-blooming 

 trees had promised. Observant husbandmen have therefore 

 sought to obviate this unpleasant event, and not without suc- 

 cess, choosing for their orchards a northwestern exposure, 

 where the trees are visited by the more frequent and colder 

 winds blowing from that direction. In this way a too early 

 blooming is prevented, and the end is gained of having the 

 bloom appear after the greatest danger from sharp Spring- 

 frosts is past. Other farmers, if they have reason to fear a 

 frosty night, take the trouble to set a-fire great heaps of brush 

 or straw on the winter-side of their orchards, and it is said 

 that this precaution is of use in very many cases, and preserves 

 the blooms which in neighboring orchards, not so protected, 

 are quite killed A similar device is made use of in Hungary 

 to keep off May-frosts from the vines. 



t These lease-holders or tenants must gradually bring into 

 an arable condition the land they take over, giving for 100 

 acres about 1000 pd. tobacco. One acre of good new land 

 yields a hogshead of tobacco or 1000 pounds, the medium 

 worth of which is 10 guineas. The leases run for short terms 

 only, and are then renewed. 



