660 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 9 



care ihat there be sufficient of powder and amu- 

 nition vvilhin the plantation under his command 

 and their pieces fixt and (lieirarms compleate. 



" That there be dew walch kept by nijrht. 



"That no commander ol" any plantation do 

 either himselfe or suffer others to spend powder 

 unnecessarily m drinkiuij or entertainments, &c." 



'* That such persons ofquality as shall be (bunde 

 delin(|uent in theirduties being not fittto undergoe 

 corporal punishment may notwithstanding be 

 ymprisoned at the discretione of the commander 

 JSt Ibr greater offences to be subject to a fRne inflict- 

 ed by the monthlie court, so that it exceed not the 

 value albresaid." — p. 127. 



Among the acts of October, 1629, first appears 

 the policy, which was so long approved, of hmit- 

 ing the extent of the cultivation of tobacco, for 

 the purpose of enhancing its price, and which was 

 so often attempted to be enforced by legislation, 

 and with so little success. 



" It tvas put to the question whether for this 

 yeare there should be an ordinance made and es- 

 tablished for the stinting of the planting of to- 

 bacco. To this the opinion of the most voices 

 was, that noe persons workeiiig the ground, which 

 are all to be thithable, should plant above 3000 

 plants uppon an head. 



" An exception is made where the fimilie con- 

 sisteth of children and woemen which doe not 

 worke in the ground, and they to plant not above 

 1000 plants per pol."— pp. 41-2. 



The [following are some of the proceedings of 

 the governor and council, acting as a criminal 

 court, in 1630 : 



"Dr. John Pott, late Governor, indicted, ar- 

 raigned and found guilty of stealing cattle, 13 

 jurors 3 whereof councillors. This day wholly 

 spent in pleading ; next day, in unnecessary dis- 

 putation : Pott endeavoring to prove Mr. King- 

 emell (one of the witnesses against him) an hy- 

 pocrite, by a story of Gusuian of Alfrach the 

 rogue. In regard of his quality and practice, 

 judgment respited till the king's pleasure known ; 

 and all the councel became his security." — p. 145. 



" Upon the presentment of the church-wardens 

 of Stanley Hundred for suspicion of incontinency 

 betweene Henry Kinge and the wife ofJohn Jack- 

 son, they lyinge together in her husband's ab- 

 sence ; it is thought fitt that the sayd Kinge shall 

 remove his habitation from her, and not to use or 

 /■•equent her company until her husband's re- 

 torne." — p. 145. 



"Hugh Davis to be soundly whipped, before 

 an assembly of Negroes and others, for abusing 

 himself to the dishonor of God and shame of 

 Christians, by defiling his body in lying with a 

 negro ;* which fault he is to acknowledge next 

 Sabbath day."— p. 146. 



The three following acts, which are copied en- 

 lire, throw light on the policy and economy of the 

 government. Tlie legislative encouragement or 

 enforcing of corn culture was as much the usage 

 as restraints upon tobacco culture. Tobacco was 



* Negroes were first introduced in Virginia, from a 

 Dutch ship, in the year 1620. See Beverley, pa. 51. 

 Burk's Hist. vol. i. p. 211. 



then, and for a long time afterwards, the legal 

 currency of the country; and the bringing bad 

 tobacco into market and circulation, was therefore 

 something like debasing the coin of the country. 

 This induced the burning of the article, as coun- 

 terfeit, as well as to punish the owner for the of- 

 fence. This penalty lasted much longer than its 

 causes. Within the last thirty-five years, tobacco, 

 condemned by the inspectors, was still burnt by 

 law, instead of being permitted to be converted 

 to manure, for which purpose it would have been 

 valuable. 



" For the better furtherance and advancement 

 of staple commodities, and more especially that of 

 potashes and saltpeeter, it is thought fitt, that 

 every master of a ffamily within the eeverall plan- 

 tations of this colony shall use their best endea- 

 vours to preserve and keepe in dry and tight 

 houses or casks all those ashes that proceede and 

 bee made by the wood that is burned in clearing 

 their grounds, that they may be ready at all tymes 

 to be delivered to those that shall require the same 

 to make experiment thereof. And that every 

 master of a ffamily shall have a speciall care, after 

 a notice thereof given, to preserve and keepe all 

 their urine which shall be made in their severall 

 plantations, to be disposed and bestowed as by a 

 note in writing they shall receave directions the 

 benefilt whereof shall the first yeare shall re- 

 dounde to those that shall make the experiment. 

 And the next yeare it shall bee lawfull for every 

 planter to make the best benefitt hee can thereof 

 to his own use. And Ibr other staple commodities, 

 as iron, salt, vines, &c. the whole assembly are 

 willing and readie to yielde their best assistance in 

 setting and raysing them, or any of thetn when 

 they shall see any incouragement thereunto by 

 such as shall bee men of experience and skill to 

 perfecte such workes." — p. 151. 



"To prevent the want of come which often- 

 tymes doth happen to this colony by reason of the 

 neglect of planting sufficient quantities thereof (or 

 their necessarie provisions. It is ordered, that two 

 acres of corne or neere thereabouts bee planted for 

 every head that worketh in the grounde, and the 

 same to bee sufficiently tended weeded and pre- 

 served from birdes, hoggs, cattell and other incon- 

 veniences. And if any planter shall be found de- 

 linquent therein hee shall forfeite all his tobaccoe 

 which hee made of his cropp that yeare, the one 

 halfe, to the informer, the other to bee imployed 

 to publique uses for the good of the country." — p. 

 152. 



" For the improving the planting of tobaccoe 

 the neglect thereof in the curing hath caused the 

 same to bee of base price and small esteeme to the 

 discredit and disadvantage of the whole colony in 

 generall, for the preventing and avoyding whereof) 

 ft is thought fitt and accordingly ordered, That 

 noe person whatsoever shall plant or tende above 

 two thousand plants of tobaccoe for every heade 

 within his family including woemen and children. 

 And to the intent that noe tobaccoe of bad condi- 

 tion may be transported out of this country, Jt is 

 further ordered, That if any man hereafier shall 

 make any bad, or ill conditioned tobaccoe and of- 

 fer to pay away the same to any person or per- 

 sons, eyther for debts, marchandize or any other 



