Page:Economic History of Virginia Vol 1.djvu/466

 attained to a fair size, which was in the course of a week. The horn-worm had also to be removed. As soon as the appearance of the plants indicated ripeness, they were cut down with a special knife, a dry day being chosen on which to perform the work, as it was necessary that the leaves should shrink and fall before they were transferred under roof. The modern custom of placing each plant on a stick while it was still in the field was unknown in the seventeenth century. The plants were carried to the barn by the laborers and were there received by others, whose duty it was to drive a peg into the stalk of each plant, the peg being subsequently attached to the tobacco stick. The use of the peg is evidence that the splitting of the stalk was an invention of a much more recent age. At the present time the stick is thrust between the two portions of the severed stalk, and thus furnishes all the support that is needed. The manufacture of pegs and sticks was a work which was probably accomplished at odd times; a witness in a case in Henrico County, in 1688, refers to the fact that an acquaintance had on one occasion in the month of October been employed until midnight in making these articles as a provision against the cutting of the tobacco. It was doubtless a common occupation in the idle hours of winter.

The barns in that age were probably more carefully built than are those of to-day. They were both cased and weather-boarded, the coverings being put on in a series of equal lengths. In general, the number was