Page:Economic History of Virginia Vol 1.djvu/357

 carry out his instructions by urging the passage of the necessary laws, as well as by setting an example in his own person. He planted at an early day a considerable area of land in flax, hemp, and cotton. A few years afterwards he began an experiment with rice, and from half a bushel of seed sown harvested fifteen bushels; the result was looked upon as being so satisfactory, that the anticipation was confidently entertained that rice would soon be cultivated in such abundance in the Colony that it could be bought for two pence a pound. The notion was prevalent that the climate and soil were well adapted to the grain, this notion being largely based on the assertions of the African slaves, who stated that they found the conditions in Virginia as favorable to the production of rice as in the country from which they came. Subsequent experience has, however, gone to show that while the deep soil of the river bottoms is sufficiently fertile for the plant, the climate is not hot enough for its development in perfection. It was provided by law, that whoever obtained a patent for an hundred acres of land should be required to establish a garden and orchard, carefully protected by a fence, ditch, or hedge.