Page:Economic History of Virginia Vol 2.djvu/224

 that time had, with the exception of a small proportion of the inhabitants, not only been born but also reared in England, and had, therefore, the English thirst for strong liquors. It was not long before they discovered the adaptability of the persimmon to beer. It was even sought to make wine of sassafras. Barley and Indian corn were planted to secure material for brewing, the ale produced, both strong and small, being pronounced by capable judges to be of excellent quality. Twenty years after the dissolution of the Company, there were six public brew-houses in Virginia, the malt used being extracted from the barley and hops which had in considerable quantities been raised for this purpose. In 1652, George Fletcher obtained the monopoly of brewing in wooden vessels for a period of fourteen years. In some places, beer was, about the middle of the century, the most popular of all the liquors drunk in the Colony, the great proportion of it being brewed at this time in the houses of the planters. With the progress of time, the cultivation of barley practically ceased. In the period