240 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 4 



also what Mucks or slaves have been brought in 

 within the said time] 



jjnswer. Yearly, wo pupposc there comes in, 

 of servants, about lilieen huudreil, of which, most 

 are English, few Scotch, and iewer Irish, and not 

 above two or tiirce sliips of negroes in seven years. 



17. What number of people liave yearly died, 

 within your plantation and government for these 

 seven years last past, both whiles and blacks? 



jlnswer. All new plantations are, lor an age 

 or two, unhealthy, till they are thoroughly cleared 

 of wood ; but unless we had a particular register 

 office, for the denoting of all that died, I cannot 

 give a particular answer to this query, only this I 

 can say, that there is not often unseasoned hands 

 (as we term them) that die now, whereas hereto- 

 lore not one of five escaped the first year. 



18. What number of ships do trade yearly to 

 and from your plantation, and of what burthen 

 are they? 



Answer. English ships, near eighty come out 

 of England and Ireland every year tor tobacco; 

 lew New England ketches; but of our own, we 

 never yet had more than two at one time, and 

 those not more than twenty tuns burthen. 



19. What obstructions do you find to the im- 

 provement of the trade and navigation of the plan- 

 tations within your government? 



Jlnswer, Mighty and destructive, by that se- 

 vere act of parliament wiiich excludes us the hav- 

 ing any commerce with any nation in Kurope but 

 our own, so that we cannot add to our plantation 

 any commodity that grows out of it, as olive trees, 

 cotton or vines. Besides this, we cannot procure 

 any skilfull men for one now hopefull commodity, 

 eilk ; lor it is not lawfull for us to carry a pipe 

 slave, or a barrel of corn to any place in Europe 

 out of the king's dominions. If this were for his 

 majesty's service or the good of his subjects, we 

 should not repine, whatever our sufferings are for 

 it ; but on my soul, it is the contrary lor both. And 

 this is the cause why no small or great vessells 

 are built here ; lor we are most obedient to all 

 laws, whilst the New England men break through, 

 and men trade to any place that their interest lead 

 them. 



20. What advantages or improvements do you 

 observe that may be gained to your trade and na- 

 vigation ? 



Answer. None, unless we had liberty to trans- 

 port our pipe staves, timber and corn, to other 

 places besides the king's dominions. 



21. What rates and duties are charged and 

 payable upon any goods exported out of your 

 plantation, whether of your own growth or manu- 

 facture, or otherwise, as also upon goods im- 

 ported 1 



Answer. No goods, either exported or import- 

 ed, pay any the least duties here, only two shil- 

 hngs the hogshead on tobacco exported, which is 

 to defray all public charges; and this year we 

 could not get an account of more than fifteen 

 thousand hogsheads, out of which the king al- 

 lows me a thousand* yearly, with which 1 must 

 maintain the port of my place, and one hundred 

 intervening charges that cannot be put to public 

 account. And I can knowingly affirm, that there 



* He means £ 1000 sterling money ; which was the 

 stated salary of the governor; besides which the as- 

 sembly allowed Sir William Berkeley, who. is here 

 speaking, an additional salary of £200 — Hcninsr 



is no government of ten years settlement, but has 

 thrice as nuich allowed him. But I am support- 

 ed by my hopes, that his gracious magesty will 

 one day consider me. 



ti2. What revenues doc or may arise to his ma- 

 jesty within your government, and of what nature 

 is it ; by whom is the same collected, and how 

 answered and accounted to his majesty? 



Answer. There is no revenue arising to his ma- 

 jesty but out of the quit-rents ; and this he hath 

 given away to a deserving servant, Col. Henry 

 Norwood. 



23. What course is taken about the instructing 

 the people, within your government in the chris- 

 tian religion; and what provision is there made 

 for the paying of your ministry ? 



Answer. The same course that is taken in 

 England out of towns ; every man according to 

 his ability instructing his children. We have 

 fibrty-eight parishes, and our ministers are well 

 paid, and by my consent should be better, if they 

 loould pray oftener and preach less. But of all 

 other commodities, so of this, </te toorst are sent 

 us, and we had iew that we could boast of, since 

 the persecution in C/romu'e/Z's tiranny drove divers 

 worthy men hither. But, I thank God, there are 

 no free schools nor printirig, and I hope we shall 

 not have, these hundred years ; for learning has 

 brought disobedience, and heresy, and sects into 

 the world, and printing has divulged them, and 

 libels against the best government. God keep us 

 from both ! 



[The same hostility to the introduction o[^ print- 

 ing which vvas manifested by Sir. William Berke- 

 ley, was shown by Lord Culpeper, who was go- 

 vernor of Virginia in 1683, only eleven years after 

 these principles were avowed by Sir William 

 Berkeley. It will be seen by the following extract, 

 which is from a MS. of unquestionable authority, 

 that at last mentioned date, a printer had actual- 

 ly commenced his business in Virginia, but was 

 prohibited by the governor and council frorapnnf- 

 ing any thing, till the king's pleasure should be 

 known ; which, it may be presumed was very 

 tardily communicated, as the first evidence of 

 printing thereafter in Virginia was on the revised 

 laws contained in the edition of 1733. 



" February 21st, 1682, John Buckner called 

 " before the Lord Culpepper and his council for 

 " printing the laws of 1680, without his excellen- 

 " cy's licence, and he and the printer ordered to 

 '• enter into bond in £100 not to print any thing 

 " thereafter, until his majesty's pleasure should be 

 " known."]' (Bland MS. pa. 498.; 



From tlic Magazine of Horticulture. 

 ON THE CULTIVATION OF BRUSSELS 

 SPROUTS. 



The Brussels sprouts are highly prized through- 

 out Europe, as a culinary vegetable. Therefore 

 it is grown as extensively as any of the brassica 

 or cabbaire tribe. The appearance of the plants 

 is more like the Savoy cabbage than any other 

 variety, with this difference— the stems grow to 

 the height of three or four leei, and are closely set, 

 flom the bottom to the to[), with sprouts like small 

 cabbages in miniature; each being from an inch 

 to two inches in diameter. 



