. Richard of Jamestown ; a story of the Virginia colony . ave seen the people in this new world ofVirginia getting more money from the tobacco plant,than they could have gained even though CaptainNewports yellow sand had been veritable gold. You must know that the seed of tobacco is evensmaller than grains of powder, and the Indians usuallyplant it in April. Within a month it springs up, eachtiny plant having two or four leaves, and one monthlater it is transplanted in little hillocks, set about thesame distance apart as are our hills of Indian corn. Two or three times during the season the pl
. Richard of Jamestown ; a story of the Virginia colony . ave seen the people in this new world ofVirginia getting more money from the tobacco plant,than they could have gained even though CaptainNewports yellow sand had been veritable gold. You must know that the seed of tobacco is evensmaller than grains of powder, and the Indians usuallyplant it in April. Within a month it springs up, eachtiny plant having two or four leaves, and one monthlater it is transplanted in little hillocks, set about thesame distance apart as are our hills of Indian corn. Two or three times during the season the plants haveto be hoed and weeded, while the sickly leaves, whichpeep out from the body of the stock, must be pluckedoff. If the plant grows too fast, which is to say, if it islike to get its full size before harvest time, the tops arecut to make it more backward. About the middle of September it is reaped, strip-ped of its leaves, andtied in small bunches;these are hung undera shelter so that thedew may not cometo them, until theyare cured the sameas 124 RICHARD OF JAMESTOWN Having thus been dried, and there must be no sus-picion of moisture about, else they will mold, the wholeis packed into hogsheads. I have lived to see the days go by since the girl Poca-hontas showed Nathaniel and me how to cultivate theweed, until the greatest wealth which Virginia can pro-duce comes from this same tobacco, which, Master Huntsays, not only induces filthiness in those who use it, butworks grievous injury to the body. CAPTAIN NEWPORTS RETURN When Captain Newport came back to Virginia, atabout the time we were gathering our scanty harvest,his dreams of sudden wealth, through the digging ofgold in Virginia, had burst as does a bubble when onepricks it. He had not been more than four and twenty hours inEngland before learning that his ship was laden onlywith valueless sand, and, mayhap, if the LondonCompany had not demanded that he return to Virginiaat once, with certain orders concerning u
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