1fn IRew JSnglanD 



Ambrose Gibbons, the agent of the La- 

 conia, or Mason and Gorges colony. The 

 object in view was "to found a planta- 

 tion on this river to cultivate the vine, 

 discover mines, carry on the fisheries, 

 and trade with the natives." One of the 

 favorite schemes of Mason was vine grow- 

 ing, and he wrote to Gibbons, saying: 

 "I pray you look well to the vines." 

 Gibbons answered : "The vines that were 

 planted will come to nothing. They 

 prosper not in the ground where they 

 were set, but them that grow naturally 

 are very good of divers sorts." This 

 lovely valley was known as "The Vine- 

 yard," and in the earlier part of this cen- 

 tury there were so many vines left, that 

 they may have been a survival of those 

 planted by the hands of Europeans. 



The barberries, other fruits, and vari- 

 ous herbs evidently brought from Eng- 

 land, and that found a favorable soil and 

 climate in this natural garden, as well as 

 the soft fine turf, which rarely grows ex- 

 cept where man has dealt much with the 

 7 97 



