64 PRINCIPLES OF RURAL ECONOMICS 



What we owe to the Indians. The first European settlers in 

 America were not, however, thrown absolutely upon their own 

 resources in learning to readapt their farming methods to the 

 new conditions. They learned many of their first and, as it 

 proved, most valuable lessons directly from the Indians. Rude 

 as were the agricultural methods of the Indians, according to' 

 modern standards, we must not forget that they taught our an- 

 cestors how to grow two crops which were destined to play a 

 large part in our national economy. These crops were tobacco 

 and Indian corn, or maize. The former was the most important 

 money crop in the Southern colonies during the entire colonial 

 period, and remained in the lead until 1801, when it was out- 

 stripped by cotton. During our entire history corn has been the 

 leading agricultural product of the country as a whole, and still 

 retains that position with no other crop even a close second. 

 There is no other crop which so distinguishes American agri- 

 culture, and it is doubtful if there is any other single product 

 which confers such distinction on American industry. 



How the colonists got land. In the agricultural history of any 

 country one of the first and most important questions is that of 

 the relation of the people to the land. In our early colonial 

 history the land was supposed to be the property of the British 

 crown, and all titles were ultimately derived from that source. 

 There was considerable variety of procedure among the different 

 colonies in the acquiring of a title to land. In Virginia the 

 land was granted by the crown to the London Company, which in 

 turn made grants to private individuals, that is, after a year or 

 two of unsuccessful experimenting with a system of common 

 ownership. 



The land system of Virginia. There were three methods by 

 which a private individual might acquire title to land in this 

 colony. One was to buy a share of the stock of the London 

 Company, known as a "bill of adventure." This was practically 



