Suffolk County 889 



and Long Island. Connecticut at first maintained her claim to the 

 eastern towns, and some time elapsed before it was ultimately 

 settled that the island belonged to New York. 



When, in 1070, a levy was made on the towns to raise money 

 for repairing the fort at New York, nearly all the English towns, 

 by vote, refused to obey the order for the contribution or levy 

 unless tl they might have the privileges that other of his majesty's 

 subjects have and do enjoy.'' This is the first record of protest 

 against taxation without representation. 



DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRY 



Considerable trade with the West Indies was carried on during 

 the latter part of the seventeenth century. Whale oil and bone 

 were the first exports to Europe. 



Woolen manufacturing was commenced, both in Suffolk County 

 and in Connecticut, about the year 1700, in spite of the efforts of 

 the mother country to divert the attention of the colonists from 

 manufacturing. The business of tanning and preparing leather 

 was begun a short time previous. Other prominent industries of 

 the time were the manufacture of hats from beaver fur and of 

 linseed oil from the flax plant. 



The early settlers naturally followed the same system of tillage 

 and rotation of crops to which they had been accustomed. Cattle 

 were imported for breeding as early as 1625. At that time there 

 were few or no fences, and herdsmen were hired by the town to 

 take care of the cattle from May 11 to October 23, when the corn 

 would be entirely harvested. So important was this office deemed 

 that the conditions of agreement were entered on the town book. 



For nearly 200 years, or until the beginning of the nineteenth 

 century, the staple products of the island and the chief sources of 

 income were corn, wheat, rye, oats, flax, wood for fuel, and fat 

 cattle and sheep. During the Revolution a tory advised the Brit- 

 ish minister to land horses on the island; " For," he said, " in this 

 fertile island the army can subsist without any succor from Eng- 

 land." The English army occupied Long Island, therefore, with 

 New York as its headquarters, for nearly seven years, drawing 

 most of its supplies from the neighboring land?. 



With the growth of New York and Brooklyn arose the demand 

 for vegetables, milk, hay, and other articles of a bulky or perish- 



