Page:Economic History of Virginia Vol 1.djvu/232

 state of great neglect, a few seeds only having been put into the ground. Careful provision, however, had been made for the preservation of the cows, oxen, oats, hogs, and poultry imported by Delaware. Dale, with characteristic promptness, at once outlined measures that would remove the evil conditions now prevailing. The first of these measures has an unusual importance, from the fact that it held out to the colonists in a modified form the right of holding private property, a right which had not as yet been granted. It was proposed to assign a separate garden to each man, and to lay off a common garden to be devoted to the cultivation of hemp and flax. The first stable erected in Virginia, so far as the records show, was designed by Dale at this time. A building was also projected for the kine, for which Dale provided further by directing that hay should be gathered in season to serve for their food in winter. Special precautions were taken by him to put a stop to the depredations of the Indians upon the stock of cattle, a block-house being erected for this purpose on the mainland. Even before the departure of Smith, in 1609, the hogs, the animals most disposed to wander, had to be transported to, in island in the river, until recently known as Hog Island, in order to escape the clutches of the Indian marauders; many, however, remained in the woods on the banks of the Powhatan, and increased so enormously in Dumber, in consequence of the mild climate and the abundance of roots and mast, that they became more plentiful than deer. It was said at the time that the savages, as compared with the English, destroyed the wild bogs in a proportion of eight to two. The block-house built by Dale was intended to protect only the cattle ranging on Jamestown Island. Soon after his arrival he issued a proclamation commanding the colonists to be careful not to allow their live stock to