8o Singing Valleys 



and at husking and grinding as the vanishing Indians were. 

 In the fall they go eagerly into the woods to gather hickory 

 nuts. These, pounded shells and all, in a mortar with a little 

 water, make a milky liquid called "pohickory" which lends a 

 fine taste poured over fresh baked pones. 



When the servants' time is up, a period of six or seven years, 

 and they have their freedom and rights, they are already corn- 

 planters. They in turn start plantations of corn and tobacco 

 on which other indentured servants labor for them. The oldest 

 planter's house still standing in Virginia is the steep-roofed, 

 dormered, brick home of Adam Thoroughgood overlooking 

 Lynnhaven Bay (the succulence of whose oysters was discov- 

 ered by George Percy within a month after Jamestown was 

 founded). Adam Thoroughgood, though the brother of two 

 knights, came to the colony an indentured servant. He worked 

 his way to freedom and the possession of this placid estate. 

 The house he built with two end chimneys, symbols of pros- 

 perity and prestige, survives. It is perhaps one of the most fit- 

 ting symbols of the American dream. 



Virginia's elegant days cannot be said to begin before the 

 eighteenth century. Even as late as 1705 Berkeley comments: 

 "The bread in gentlemen's houses is generally of wheat, but 

 some rather choose the pone." Pompous Sir William Berkeley, 

 twice Governor, did much to further the luxury era. As early 

 as 1652, he retired to his estate "Greenspring" near Jamestown 

 where he planted an orchard of two thousand apple, pear, 

 peach, quince and apricot trees. There, too, he maintained a 

 stable of seventy-nine horses. 



Reviewing the records, it is amazing how swiftly Virginia 

 moved out of pioneer conditions and into luxury. She could 

 not have done this so speedily but for corn. Corn made cheap 

 labor white first, later black in the tobacco fields possible. 

 Corn provided exports to New England and the West Indies. 

 Corn fattened and made prolific cattle, hogs and poultry. 



It is no wonder that the private cook books which are part 



