The Virginia magazine of history and biography

LETTERS OF COLONEL WILLIAM BYRD, 2D. 227fer them to enjoy a certain Portion of Land for each Family freefrom Quitrents for ten years, and if this could be transportedwithout charge it would be an effectual Temptation to them andno loss to Great Britain by any means. In the course of theseDiscoverys enough Ginseng may be gathered * * * havemuch better health & meet with fewer difficult * * * yardsthan their countrymen have done in the favorite con * * *Georgia. They may here exercise their Industry upon everything Genius leads them to, they may plant Vineyards whichnature encourages them to by twisting a vine round almostevery tree, they may make silk no place being more kindly forMulberry Trees. They may produce as fine Flax as any in theUniverse, for a Linnen Manufacture. They may raise Hemp asgood as any from Riga, for cordage of all kinds. They mayalso go upon a manufacture of silk grass which is stronger muchthan hemp. With oyl they may also make in what Quantitythey please of the great variety of nuts that the woods produce.And what may surprise you most, I can assure you from experiencemany times repeated, that you may make exceeding goodsugar Irom a tree we call a Sugar tree, which is very plenty inthese parts. This tree they tap in the Spring and a sweet Liquorissues from the wound that may be boild into Sugar, and Iquestion not but a spirit may be drawn from it equal to arrack.Many more improvements may be made in that fine part of theCountry, but I shall mention no more, but only that of Provisionsof every kind which may be produced with little Labour inthe greatest Plenty. It is a fine Place for Cattle and Hoggs, forSheep and Goats, and particularly there is a large creature ofthe Beef kind, but much larger called a Buffalo, which may bebred up tame and is good both for Food and Labour.Then the Ground will produce any Grain you please with aSurprising Increase, besides Potatos & Peas of Various kindsthat are very wholesome and nourishing. Then you may haveFruit in great plenty of every sort and every thing that growsin a Garden as good as the world affords. Then there is wateras clear as Crystal and as sweet as milk, and pleasant stream forany kind of mills. Besides all these advantages above Ground,there are many promising shews of mines * * * quarries ofmarble upon the Hills. In one word there is nothing * *