1838] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



6G1 



commodities, it shall be Iiiwfull for the comman- 

 der of every planlcition with two or three discreete 

 men of the said plantation uppon view thereut to 

 burne the same. And the partie that shall bee 

 found delinquent in any particle of this order shall 

 bee hereby barret' from plantinij any tobaccoe 

 until liee bee re-admitted by a General Assem- 

 bly."— p. 1.5-2. 



"For the better increase and muliiplyinc of cat- 

 tell in this colony, it is thought fill that all the fe- 

 male increase of neatecattell bee with all care and 

 dilinrence preserved and kepte. And that noe fe- 

 male kinde ol' cattell bee killed unlesse they bee 

 such as are eyther past breedinge, or are likely to 

 dye by some infirmity. And if any person or 

 persons shall doe contrary to this acle they shall 

 undergo such censure as the Governor and Coun- 

 cell shall thinke filt to impose upon them." 

 p. 153. 



" Mynisters shall not give themselves to ex- 

 cesse in drinkinge, or rioti, spendinge theire tyme 

 idellye by day or night, playinge at dice, cards, or 

 any other unlawfull game; but at all tymes con- 

 venient they shall heare or reade somewhat of the 

 holy scriptures, or shall occupie themselves with 

 gome other honest study or exercise, alwayes do- 

 inge the thinges which shall apperteyne to honesty, 

 and endeavour to profitt the church of God, al- 

 wayes haveinge in mynd that they ought to ex- 

 cell all others m puritie of life, and should be ex- 

 amples to the people to live well and christianlie." 

 p. 158. 



"Uppon a remonstrance preferr'd to the as- 

 sembly, complayninge that the H'renchmen who 

 were, about ten yeares since, transported into this 

 country for the plantiiige and dressinge of vynes, 

 and to instruct others in the same, have willinglie 

 concealed the skill, and not only neglected to plant 

 any vynes themselves, but have also spoyled and 

 ruinated that vyniard, which was, with great cost, 

 planted bv the charge of the late company and 

 theire olficers here ; and yet notvvithstandinge 

 have receaved all favour and encouragement there- 

 unto, which hath dishartened the inhabitants 

 here, It is therefore ordered that the sayd ffrench- 

 men, togeather with theire families, berestrayned 

 and prohibited from plantinge tobacco, uppon pe- 

 naltie to forfeit theire leases, and imprisonment 

 untill they will depart out of this colony." — p. 161. 



" Be it also farther ordered, That no planter or 

 mayster of a liimylie shall plante or cause to be 

 planted above two thousand plants per pol, and 

 that those that shall not plante or be otherwise 

 imployed shall not translerr or make over theire 

 right of plantinge unto any other ; and to prevent 

 any greater quantities, every planteror mayster of 

 a famylie plantinge a cropp of tobacco, more or 

 lesse, shall be lyed to procure one of his neiuh- 

 boure or some sufficient man to come and nomber 

 his or theire plants of tobacco, who will \ippon his 

 oath declare and testifie unto the commander of 

 that place, before the tenth day of July, that he 

 hath counted and nombred the sayd plants, and 

 shall say in his conscience the iust and true nom- 

 ber of them, which thinge yf the sayd planter or 

 mayster of a famylie shall neglect, or that the 

 nomber of the plants is found to exceede the pro- 

 portion of 2000 per pol, then the commander is 

 hereby to present it to the next mounthlie cort, 

 and the commissioners thereof shall give present 

 Vol. VI.-71 



order to have all that whole cropp of tobacco cutt 

 downc under panye of" imprisoiwnent and censure 

 of the governor and counaell and grand assembly 

 yf they neglect the execution thereof. Also 

 uppon the neglect of the commander, he shall be 

 censured in like manner." — p. 164. 



" It is likewise enacted, That no person shall 

 tend, or cause to be tended, above 14 leaves, nor 

 gather or cause to be gathered above 9 leaves 

 uppon a plant of tobacco ; and the several com- 

 manders shall hereby have power to examine the 

 truth thereof; and yf any offend, to punish the 

 servants by whippinge, and to bind over the mays- 

 ter unto the next quarter cort at James Citty to be 

 censured by the governor and counsell." — p. 164. 



" It is ordered and ordeijned, That no person 

 shall tend, or cause to be tended any slipps of old 

 stalkes of tobacco, or any of the second cropps, 

 uppon the forfeiture of the whole cropp, whereof 

 halfe to be to the informer, and halfe to publique 

 uses as afbresayd." — p. 164. 



"It is likewise ordered, That every man work- 

 inge in the ground, shall plant, or cause to be 

 planted, and sufficientlie tended, this yeare, at the 

 least two acres of corne per pol, uppon penaltie of 

 forfeiture of their whole cropp of tobacco, yf uppon 

 vewe thereof they shall be found deficient." 

 p. 166. 



The following act, passed in the session of 

 1631-2, shows the continued state of danger and 

 alarm : 



" All men that are fittinge to beare armes, shall 

 bringe their pieces to the church uppon payne of 

 every ofl'ence, yf the mayster allow not thereof to 

 pay 2 lb of tobacco, to be disposed by the church- 

 wardens, who shall levy It by distress, and the ser- 

 vants to be punished." — p. 174. 



In 1632, an unusually long and particularly pe- 

 nal act was passed for improving the quality of 

 tobacco. It required that no tobacco should be 

 bartered for other commodities at a lower rate 

 than sixpence the pound ; that no planter or mas- 

 ter of a family should plant more than 2000 plants 

 " per pol ;" that no more than 14 leaves on each 

 plant should be tended, nor more than nine leaves 

 gathered from each plant of tobacco ; and that no 

 second crop should be made from the suckers, (or 

 "seconds") growing after the cutting off the first 

 crop. 



Another act of the same session compelled the 

 planting of vines ; but it does not appear that thi.s, 

 or any other of the means of encouragement used, 

 had any important effect in causing wine to be 

 made. 



"It is provided and ordered,^That all workers 

 upon corne and tobacco shall this ensuinge springe 

 before the first day of March next ensuinge, plant, 

 or cause to be planted 20 vyne plants per pol 

 uppon penaltie to fbrfeife one barrell of corne for 

 every one that shall make default one hal.'e to be 

 to him which shall make information thereof and 

 the other halfe to publique uses. And the com- 

 missioners lor the mounthlie corts shall have full 

 power to heare and determine this matter and to 



