556 A. E. Verrill—The Bermuda Islands. 



Wages at the islands were paid in tobacco at the rate of 3 d per 

 pound in 1670, which was probably more than its net value, after 

 the imposts were paid in London. 



The revenue from the tobacco was the main source of profit to the 

 Bermuda Company, and they jealously guarded the monopoly of the 

 trade in it during the entire period that they controlled the islands, 

 or up to 1684.* 



The quantity and quality varied exceedingly in different years, 

 from a variety of causes, but the Company annually and continually 

 complained of its bad quality. Stringent laws were in force for 

 many years requiring careful inspection of all the tobacco by official 

 inspectors before it was shipped, and the bad tobacco was to be 

 immediately burned. Apparently the dampness of the climate was 

 unfavorable for the proper curing of the tobacco, and in wet seasons 

 much of it rotted. In some years the growing tobacco was badly 

 damaged or destroyed by violent storms. This is recorded as occur- 

 ring in August, 1020, 1651, 1668, and in other years. Probably all 

 the autumnal hurricanes had this effect. Doubtless many of the 

 growers were neither skillful nor careful in the art of curing, but 

 the storms and other natural causes were important factors. On the 

 other hand, in some seasons the crop was large and the quality good. 



I have been unable to find any record of fertilizers of any kind 

 being imported or used during all these years. Probably nothing 

 was used except a small amount of barnyard manure, and perhaps in 

 some cases, seaweed and dead fishes. The domestic animals were 

 few, and the cattle do not require housing in winter, so that such 

 manure must have been scarce and little used. 



* A law making the stealing of tobacco plants a felony, punishable with death, 

 was passed in 1623 : — 



"And be yt ennacted by the same, that if any p. son or p. sons shall at any 

 tyine or tymes hereafter enter into or upon the lands or grounds of any other 

 person or p. sons w th in the Island, aforesaid where any Tobacco or plants thereof 

 shal be planted or growinge and shall there steale, drawe, plucke up, gather or 

 carrye away any Tobacco or Tobacco plants against the good will or without the 

 special lycense and consent of the owner of the same land, and be thereof law- 

 fully convicted, that then every p. son soe offending shal be held and reputed a 

 fellon and shall suffer death for the same, as for any other fellonious deed, Any 

 Act, law, usage or Custom to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding." 



This law was so modified, in 1627, that the thief was to be fined 200 pounds of 

 tobacco, or if an apprentice, he was to be whipped : and in addition, in either 

 case, he was to stand at the church door, during services, with a bunch of 

 tobacco plants hanging from his neck, on three successive Sabbath days. 



