THE PEACHES OF NEW YORK 47 



rich-quick orchard-planting concerns of our own times. Colonel Norwood, 

 an Englishman, visited Virginia in 1649 and on his return wrote:' 

 " Oranges, Lemons, Pine-aples, Plantanes, Peaches, Apricocks, Peares, 

 Apels, in a word all sort of excellent Fruits will grow there in full perfection: 

 you may sleepe whilst they are growing, after their setting or engrafting, 

 there needes no more labour but your prayers, that they may prosper, and 

 now and then an eye to prevent their casualties, wounds or diseases." 

 No doubt Norwood is over enthusiastic in his praises and yet it is true 

 that there were few pests of the peach at this time, most of these coming, 

 one by one, with the development of the fruit-industry. About alj that 

 any fruit needed at this time was, to use a modern political phase, " watch- 

 ful waiting." 



Considering the agricultural efforts that must have been required to 

 produce tobacco, then the medium of exchange at home and abroad, and 

 of com, which in Virginia was the staff of life, one wonders that fruit 

 received the attention indicated by the following account written in 1656 

 of a still earlier period: ^ " The Country is full of gallant Orchards, and 

 the fruit generally more luscious and delightful than here, witnesse the 

 Peach and Quince, the latter may be eaten raw savourily, the former 

 differs as much exceeds ours as the best relished apple we have doth the 

 crabb, and of both most excellent and comfortable drinks are made." 

 Perhaps the explanation of the popularity of fruits in Virginia is to be 

 found in the statement that from fruits are made " most excellent and 

 comfortable drinks." On the word of Captain John Smith we have it 

 that " few of the upper-class planters drink any water." ^ Wine was not 

 made in quantity in the colonies and liquors distilled from grains were 

 not known so that thirst, in this case the mother of invention, caused 

 the colonists to turn to peaches and apples for strong drink. 



Prohibition was not preached in the colonies nor in the states until 

 long after the Revolution and King Alcohol dominated every part of the 

 New World. Distilling spirituous liquors from rye and corn seems not 

 to have been practiced, if the art were known, until the beginning of the 

 Nineteenth Centur}^ The upper classes drank wine, but cider, perry, 

 peach-vinegar and similar fermented fruit-juices were in common use by 



» Norwood, Col. A Voyage to Virginia, Force Hist. Tracts. Ill: No. 10:5. 



'Hammond, John Leah and Rachel or The Two Fruitful Sisters of Virginia and Mar>'land 1656, 

 Force Hi5^ Tracts. UI: No. 14:13. 



' Works of Capt. John .Smith Ed. by Edward Arber, 886. 1884. 



