1833.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



7-59 



In 1629, it was required by 11; s government that 

 "every laborer should tend two acres of corn, or forfeit all 

 his tobacco."' 



The quantity of tobacco which each person had 

 been permitted to raise annually, was increased to 

 "three thousand plants for men, and two thousand for 

 women and children. This was afterwards restricted 

 to two thousand, nine leaves on a plant, and no slips or 

 seconds were permitted to he planted." 



But no degree of restriction on the amount of culti- 

 vation, had served its intended object of improving the 

 quality and the price of tobacco: and instead of such 

 partial restrictions, it was now proposed that the ex- 

 traordinary measure should be adopted of an entire 

 cessation of the raising of tobacco, for a certain limit- 

 ed time. It increased the strangeness of the matter, 

 that the people were more anxious to be thus restrain- 

 ed, than the government to impose the restriction. But 

 now, to make the cessation effectual, it required the 

 co-operation of the younger colonies of Maryland and 

 Carolina. 



"Meanwhile the depreciation continued to such an 

 extent, that the planters were scarcely able to clothe 

 their families by the sale of their crops. An answer 

 arrived at length from the chancellor of Maryland, en- 

 closing the lieutenant governor's proclamation, enjoin- 

 ing a total cessation for a given time, to all the subjects 

 of that proprietary. 



"These letters accompanied with his own correspon- 

 dence, the governor laid before the house; and the 

 question being taken whether this was a sufficient con- 

 firmation, it was decided in the affirmative. By this 

 decision an act made during the former session restrict- 

 ing the planting of tobacco from the first of February, 

 1666, to the first of February, 1667, was declared to be 

 in force; and the governor was directed to signify the 

 same by proclamation to the several counties." — Hist, 

 of Virginia, p. 193, Vol. 2. 



"But the benefits to be reaped from these projects, 

 even though successful, were remote; and the necessi- 

 ties of the colony were immediate and pressing. 

 Doubts began to be entertained of the good faith of 

 Maryland in observing the cessation; and they were 

 haunted with apprehensions lest, after tying up the in- 

 dustry of the colonists, by prohibiting the culture of 

 their only staple, the project should be defeated by the 

 avarice of a people who would grow rich by their ru- 

 in."— Hist, of Va.p. 192, vol. 2. 



But however small the benefit found in this trial of 

 Ihe cessation of the culture of tobacco, its repetition 

 continued to be urged as a favorite remedy for low 

 prices. In 1631, the council wrote to Lord Culpeper, 

 the governor then in England, respecting sundry griev- 

 ances of the colony, and "entreated that his influence 

 might be used to procure a cessation in planting to- 

 bacco." 



"Meanwhile the rapid depreciation of tobacco, add- 

 ed to the operation of the commercial restraints impo- 

 sed by parliament, had produced a general dissatisfac- 

 tion among the people. They had vainly attempted to 

 apply a remedy to the former evil, by procuring the 

 co-operation of Carolina and Maryland. This plan 

 had tailed through the jealousy or avarice of those go- 

 vernments; and they were left to struggle with diffi- 

 culties, which were daily accumulating, and of which 

 they could see no prospect of termination. They 

 could not even hope for the sanction of their own go- 

 vernment, which formerly approved a cessation. 

 Other maxims were now entertained by the executive, 

 more suited to the views of the court; and the inquiry 



was not, what would be beneficial to tl.e country, but 

 how will it affect his majesty's revenue?" — Hist, of 

 Va.p. 22S, vol. 2. 



The popular desire for the cessation, added to the 

 pressure of some other real (but less regarded) op- 

 pressive measures of government, produced much dis- 

 content, and finally broke out in the insurrection. 



"The people of several counties, having lost all hope 

 of a cessation by the dissolution of the assembly, ran 

 together tumuJtuously, and proceeded to the entire de- 

 struction of the tobacco plants in the beds, before they 

 were transplanted. Their proceedings wore so timed, 

 that the season was too far advanced to make good the 

 loss by seed; and as the culture of sweet scented to- 

 bacco was almost exclusively confined to Virginia, they 

 directed their efforts peculiarly to the destruction of 

 this sort."— Hist, of Va.p. 233, vol.2. 



"The governor now left to the exercise of functions 

 purely executive, proceeded to a severe inquiry into 

 the late insurrection. The king had instructed him 

 that the plant cutters and their instigators, came pro- 

 perly within the purview of the statutes relating to 

 treason, and had commanded, that the rioters should 

 be proceeded against by the attorney-general, and 

 punished with the utmost severity." — Hist, of Va.p. 

 240, vol. 2. 



The following is the earliest notice of cotton crops 

 having been recommended. 



"Sir Edmund Andross was a great encourager of 

 manufactures. In his time fulling mills were set up 

 by act of assembly. He also gave particular marks of 

 his favor towards the propagating of cotton, which 

 since his time has been much neglected." — Beverley, 

 §142,j?. 90. 



The following extract will give some interesting in- 

 formation on the value of agricultural products, and 

 other commodities. 



"The price of corn and other articles of food, dur- 

 ing this epoch, varied considerably, according to cir- 

 cumstances. Corn, at a medium, sold from ten to 

 eighteen shillings the barrel. A bull was worth seven 

 hundred pounds of tobacco, or eight pounds fifteen 

 shillings. Poultry would naturally command a greater 

 price, from the delays and difficulty of procuring a 

 stock from Europe, and the inconvenience of their 

 multiplication amongst cultivators, whose whole atten- 

 tion was almost wholly engrossed in clearing the forest 

 for cultivation. A goose, during the administration of 

 Hervey, cost twenty shillings, and we should conclude 

 that other fowls were in pioportion. 



"The rates of ordinaries, established in 1GGC, by 

 Sir William Berkeley, will throw more light on this 

 head than is to be collected from the rates of separate 

 commodities. As these rates were stated to have been 

 fixed, in order to prevent the extortion of keepers of 

 taverns and eating houses, we should conclude they 

 are lower than the previous cbarg< s. 



A meal for a master, 15lbs. tobacco. 



Ditto for a servant, - 10 do 



Lodging for either (per night) 5 do 



Spanish wines, per gallon, 10s. or 100 do 



French do Ss. or SO do 



Brandy, English spirits, or ) , r ,„„ , 



, r . •-' ■ ,° l ' > 16s. or 1C0 do 



\ lrgima dram, ) 



Rum, - - - 10s. or 100 do 



Beer, - - 4s. or 40 do 



Cyder or perry, - - 2sGor 25 do 



These two last are stated to be rated proportionally 

 higher, in order to encourage the produce of the coun- 

 try. 



"From the circumstances of the colony, an horse 

 must have been an animal at once rare and valuable 

 In the year fifty-six the assembly ordered two thous- 



