MARYLAND WEATHER. SERVICE 311 



a political point of view and from the viewpoint of the planters. 

 These laborers received no wages, but would become free after a 

 certain number of years. A step which was almost to be expected 

 was that instead of purchasing prisoners to he bound servants, sav- 

 age prisoners from other than the home country should be pur- 

 chased as permanent property, thus doing away with the limit of 

 service on the part of the servant. It is characteristic of the tobacco 

 region that the cheap field labor was depended upon to bring the 

 returns for the year, in the shape of the tobacco, and to earn its 

 keep in the corn fields. In Maryland, in the sections where little 

 or no tobacco was raised few negroes or other unpaid laborers were 

 commonly found, and this early areal distribution of labor types 

 has held good almost to the present time. 



The tobacco was grown and cured by the planter, shipped from 

 his plantation wharf, and the master of the ship took with him an 

 extensive list of needed items to be brought on his return to the 

 gentlemen and ladies whose hearts and thoughts were often in their 

 home country though their manor house was in the Colony. The 

 planters of the Bay shores continued their dependence upon the 

 home country until the war of Independence compelled the general 

 development of industrial resources of the Colony. This was espe- 

 cially true in respect to tools, and clothing materials. 



Iron was smelted in the Colony, and pig iron was an important 

 export, before the Revolution, but upon the Coastal Zone little or 

 none of it was forged into tools, those needed being brought hack 

 from the other side with other merchandise in exchange for the 

 tobacco sent from the Colony.* Not only as a medium of foreign 

 exchange did tobacco serve as a "money crop" but at home as well 

 did the staple crop have value in exchange, and take the place of 

 more convenient coined money. As late as 1752 tobacco was de- 

 clared legal tender at one penny the pound, and taxes, fines and 

 salaries of both ministers and judges, were paid therein even con- 

 siderably after that date. 



•Scharff, History of Maryland, ii, 60, 61. 



