﻿AGRICULTURE. 
  131 
  

  

  habitually 
  cultivated 
  ; 
  it 
  was 
  of 
  the 
  black 
  or 
  naked 
  seed 
  

   variety, 
  was 
  planted 
  in 
  hills, 
  and 
  cultivated 
  with 
  the 
  

   hoe. 
  Ffty 
  or 
  sixty 
  pounds 
  was 
  the 
  ordinary 
  quantity 
  

   gathered 
  in 
  a 
  day. 
  The 
  seeds 
  were 
  picked 
  out 
  by 
  the 
  

   hand, 
  or 
  separated 
  from 
  the 
  lint 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  the 
  small 
  

   roller 
  gin.* 
  It 
  was 
  spun 
  and 
  woven 
  at 
  home, 
  and 
  con- 
  

   stituted 
  the 
  chief 
  apparel 
  of 
  the 
  inhabitants 
  ; 
  the 
  small 
  

   quantity 
  of 
  indigo 
  then 
  grown, 
  and 
  the 
  numerous 
  dye- 
  

   stuffs 
  that 
  the 
  forests 
  afforded, 
  supplied 
  all 
  the 
  coloring 
  

   materials 
  required 
  for 
  dyeing 
  the 
  cloth. 
  -j* 
  

  

  Rice 
  formed 
  an 
  important 
  article 
  of 
  diet, 
  supplying 
  

   largely 
  the 
  deficiency 
  of 
  flour 
  ; 
  the 
  colonists, 
  esjoecially 
  

   the 
  French, 
  accommodating 
  themselves 
  slowly 
  and 
  re- 
  

   luctantly 
  to 
  bread 
  made 
  from 
  the 
  Indian 
  corn. 
  It 
  was 
  

   prepared 
  by 
  pounding 
  in 
  common 
  wooden 
  mortars, 
  and 
  

   perhaps 
  was 
  not 
  as 
  fair 
  as 
  that 
  which 
  we 
  now 
  purchase, 
  

   but 
  of 
  far 
  richer 
  flavor 
  and 
  more 
  nutritious. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  mill-stones, 
  when 
  they 
  could 
  not 
  be 
  

   obtained, 
  the 
  Indian 
  corn 
  was 
  reduced 
  to 
  meal 
  by 
  pound- 
  

   ing 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  w^ay. 
  

  

  Large 
  herds 
  of 
  cattle 
  were 
  owmed 
  by 
  the 
  more 
  opu- 
  

   lent 
  inhabitants, 
  for 
  which 
  the 
  garrison 
  at 
  Natchez 
  

   afforded 
  the 
  chief 
  market, 
  and 
  some 
  were 
  driven 
  to 
  New 
  

   Orleans 
  shortly 
  previous 
  to 
  the 
  change 
  of 
  government. 
  

   The 
  price 
  of 
  common 
  stock 
  cattle 
  was 
  about 
  the 
  same 
  

   then 
  as 
  at 
  this 
  time. 
  

  

  * 
  See 
  Plate 
  YII., 
  Figs. 
  1 
  and 
  2. 
  

  

  f 
  The 
  first 
  indigo 
  made 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Dunbar 
  was 
  by 
  steeping 
  it 
  in 
  

   barrels. 
  

  

  