8 Industrial Experiments in Colonial America. 



province was not considered the best sort, being, generally, 

 wormy and red-veined, although there was, doubtless, plenty of 

 good timber to be had if it were properly selected. Taylor was, 

 as he stated to the Lords of Trade, bred to the trade of import- 

 ing naval stores and undoubtedly " had a better insight than 

 the gentlemen who expected a charter." He had very little 

 hope that it would be possible for the kingdom to rely entirely 

 on the plantations for naval supplies. He spoke "as a mer- 

 chant who guides his trade to the measure only of profit," and 

 he pointed out, as a problem he could not solve, the difficulty 

 of bringing bulky goods from a very remote country as 

 cheaply as they could be brought from the kingdoms close at 

 hand. The cheapness of the East Country stores was enhanced 

 by the fact that the desired commodities were more plentiful in 

 Sweden and Denmark than they would probably ever be in New 

 England; while labor, in the former countries, was not worth 

 one-sixth as much as it was in New England. Moreover, two 

 or three voyages could be made to the Baltic, and four or five 

 to Norway, for one to America — a fact which greatly increased 

 the cost of importation. If it were His Majesty's desire to be 

 supplied from the plantations in case of necessity, and with 

 more regard to the quality than to the price of the stores, Tay- 

 lor thought that this might be accomplished by setting up at 

 some proper place in America, possibly in New Hampshire, 

 the manufacture of pitch and tar after the Swedish method.^ 



In March, 1696, an important change was made in the ad- 

 ministration of colonial affairs by the appointment of a per- 

 manent Board of Trade and Plantations in place of the special 

 committees which had hitherto kept the government informed 

 of the state of the colonies. Upon this board devolved the duty 

 of making, from time to time, specific inquiries into the con- 

 dition of the several provinces, their resources and articles of 

 export and import; and of considering plans for their improve- 

 ment, i. €., plans for making them more useful to Great Britain 



iTaylor to Board of Trade. B. T, Plants. Gen., C: 19. 



