559 A. EF. Verrili—The Bermuda Islands. 147 
“ But wee most humbly intreate you to conceive in this (as the 
schools distinguish the like Similitudo non curritt quatuor Pedibus, 
many things may be alike, but not alike in all things; for there is as 
much difference betweene a husbandman’s sowing of wheate to halves 
in England, and planting Tobacco at halves in Somer Islands, as is 
betwixt black and white. The husbandman hath his hand ready for 
the plough, and his houses built ; wee noe such thing, He hath his 
beasts of labor to plough his land, wee none but our hands, his 
wheate beeing sowen his labor and charge is little or none till har- 
vest, ours is daylie and hourely, his crop being housed his care and 
charge is ended, then is our care greatest and our danger most, yea 
of so tickle and dangerous a nature is this Tobacco, in the house, 
that one houres neglect or the least want of helpe may spoyle a 
whole yeares cropp, neither is it in the power of man to prevent it 
when it is come to that passe, soe that the comparison in theise 
respects (and many others that might be alleadged) will never hold, 
_ besides many yong youthes are now out of their tymes, and yerely 
more wil be. And if they should not be hyred what should become 
of them. There hath been care taken to make publique tennants of 
them for improving the publique lands, thereby to defray the pub- 
lique charge we’h can now bee noe further helpe, because that the 
publique lands are now all disposed of to the best behoofe, Soe that 
they must be hyred or they will live of the spoyle.” 
“Our governor hath been pleased to make known unto us that it 
is yor wills that yo’r severall tenn’ts should be very carefull in mak- 
ing and curing of tobacco in the house, it is true that in that care, 
and the tymely and opportune making up consists the greatest diffi- 
culty, but if you take from us our former allowance of that charge, 
great inconvenience may arise mauger the endeavors of the most 
endustrious, for when a season of weather serves to make up tobacco, 
that man comonly that hath most helpe doth make the best tobacco, 
we’h if he pay all the making up out of his own pte. all men will 
strive to make it up with his owne family without hyring, and soe 
if the season be over before it be dispatched and that the wind come 
to north, west-north, north east, or at east we’h is comon, all the 
remaynder may bée-spoyled.” 
After the Bermuda Company ceased to exist, in 1684, the cultiva- 
tion of tobacco rapidly declined, and was abandoned after 1707. 
Agricultural pursuits of all kinds decreased, with the exception of 
raising oranges, which flourished for more than a century. The 
