70 PRINCIPLES OF RURAL ECONOMICS 



South that gave such tremendous significance to Mason and 

 Dixon's line, which happened to be the dividing line between 

 two types of rural civilization. There was less difference be- 

 tween the cities of the two sections, though of course even the 

 cities reflected some of the characteristics of the rural life 

 with which they were surrounded. 



Early experiments. While the early colonists learned their 

 first lessons in successful agriculture from the Indians, and 

 began growing corn or tobacco after the manner of their 

 teachers, they were naturally unwilling to follow the Indian 

 type of agriculture exclusively. Accordingly a great many ex- 

 periments were tried. In Virginia especially these experiments 

 were numerous. An attempt was made to develop the silk in- 

 dustry because mulberry trees were found growing wild, and to 

 develop grape culture and wine making because wild grapes were 

 found ; and attempts were also made to grow the fig, the olive, 

 and other semitropical fruits. Jamestown is in about the same 

 latitude as the northern coast of Africa, and this led the Eng- 

 lish people to think of Virginia as a semitropical country. 

 Moreover, the early English explorers had usually visited the 

 New World in the summer, and they had no opportunity to 

 learn how severe the winters were, even as far south as Virginia. 

 But after all their experimenting the Southern colonists fell 

 back upon corn and tobacco as their leading field crops, though 

 European grains, vegetables, and fruits were also introduced. 

 Indigo and rice also became important crops in South Carolina 

 and Georgia. In the middle colonies wheat became the staple 

 crop, though corn was always grown, and European fruits and 

 vegetables were cultivated in considerable quantities. There 

 grew up a considerable export trade in wheat to the West 

 Indies. In New England there were no great staple crops 

 produced for export. Farming was of a more general sort, 

 and products were grown mainly for the local markets. 



