the generality of constitutions: it does well neither in extreme cold, nor in great heat. In this system of crops they change the land as fast as it wears out, clearing fresh pieces of wood land, exhausting them in succession; after which they leave them to the spontaneous growth. It is not here as in the northern colonies, that weeds come first and then grass; the climate is so hot, that, except on the rich moist lands, any sort of grass is scarce; but the fallow in a few years becomes a forest, for no climate seems more congenial to the production of quick growing trees. If the planter does not return to cultivate the land again, as may probably be the case, from the plenty of fresh, it presently becomes such a wood as the rest of the country is; and woods are here the pasture of the cattle, which is excellent for hogs, because they get quantities of mast and fruit; but for cattle is much inferior to pastures and meadows. . . . Another very great defect in their management, is the careless manner in which they conduct their cattle: immense herds are kept that yield a profit to the planters more inconsiderable than can at first be imagined; this is not for want of a market, since no commodity more readily yields its price in North America, than beef and pork in barrels; and hides are every where a commodity easily to be turned into money; but it is owing to a want of attention to keeping a proper proportion of them to the winter food to not fatting them well, and many not at all, which is owing to a want of pasturage, and also to leaving them too much to themselves in the woods without a sufficiency of attendants to watch and take care of them. The mere multiplication of cattle is not the only object, though it sounds greatly; bringing them up in health and vigour, of a due size and fatness, are as essential; but the stunted diminutive size of all the cattle in North America, to the northward, as well as in the southern colonies, shews plainly the great want of pastures: cattle will live and multiply in their woods, but they will never be cattle of any value; and yielding a profit as inconsiderable as their worth. II. MANUFACTURES 1 2 Pursuant to an order of the British house of commons, directed to the lords commissioners of trade and plantations in the later end of the last, or the beginning of this [1732] year, relating to the dispute still subsisting between the sugar colonies, and the northern continental colonies of America, that board reported, with respect to laws made, manufactures set up, or trade carried on, there, detrimental to the trade, navigation, or manufactures, of Great Britain, as follows, viz. . . In New-England, New-York, Connecticut, Rhode-Island, Pennsylvania, and in the county of Somerset, in Maryland, they have fallen into the manufacture of woollen cloth and linen cloth, for the use of their own families only. For the product of those colonies being chiefly cattle and grain, the estates of the inhabitants depended wholely on farming, which could not be managed without a certain quantity of sheep; and their wool would be entirely lost, were not their servants employed during the winter in manufacturing it for the use of their families. Flax and hemp being likewise easily raised, the inhabitants manufactured them into a coarse sort of cloth, bags, traces, and halters, for their horses, which they found did more service than those they had from any part of Europe. However, the high price of labour in general in America rendered it impracticable for people there to manufacture their linen cloth at less than 20 per cent more than the rate in England, or woollen cloth at less than 50 per cent dearer than that which is exported from hence for sale. It were to be wished, that some expedient might be fallen upon to divert their thoughts from undertakings of this nature; so much the rather, because those manufactures, in process of time, may be carried on in a greater degree, unless an early stop be put to their progress, by employing them in naval stores. Wherefor we take leave to renew our repeated proposals, that reasonable encourage 1 See extracts from Burnaby, Kalm, Franklin, Pownall, and Beer, pp. 12, 16, 75, 107, 434. 2 Macpherson, Annals of Commerce, III, 186, 187–191. ment be given to the same. Moreover, we find that certain trades carried on, and manufactures set up there, are detrimental to the trade, navigation, and manufactures of Great Britain. For the state of those plantations varying almost every year, more or less, in their trade and manufactures, as well as in other particulars, we thought it necessary for his majesty's service, and for the discharge of our trust, from time to time, to send certain general queries to the several governors in America, that we might be the more exactly informed of the condition of the plantations, among which there were several that related to their trade and manufactures, to which we received the following returns, viz. The governor of New-Hampshire, in his answer, said, that there were no settled manufactures in that province, and that their trade principally consisted in lumber and fish. The governor of Massachusets-bay informed us, that in some parts of this province the inhabitants worked up their wool and flax into an ordinary coarse cloth for their own use, but did not export any. That the greatest part of the woollen and linen clothing, worn in this province, was imported from Great Britain, and sometimes from Ireland; but, considering the excessive price of labour in New-England, the merchants could afford what was imported cheaper than what was made in that country. That there were also a few hat-makers in the maritime towns; and that the greater part of the leather used in that country was manufactured among themselves; that there had been for many years some iron works in that province, which had afforded the people iron for some of their necessary occasions; but that the iron imported from Great Britain was esteemed much the best, and wholely used by the shipping. And that the iron works of that province were not able to supply the twentieth part of what was necessary for the use of the country. They had no manufactures in the province of New-York, that deserved mentioning: their trade consisted chiefly in furs, whalebone, oil, pitch, tar, and provisions. No manufactures in New-Jersey, that deserve mentioning: their trade being chiefly in provisions shipped from New-York and Pennsylvania. The chief trade of Pennsylvania lay in. the exportation of provisions and lumber; no manufactures being established, and their clothing and utensils for their houses being all imported from Great Britain. By further advices from New-Hampshire, the woollen manufacture appears to have decreased, the common lands on which the sheep used to feed, being now appropriated, and the people almost wholely clothed with woollen from Great Britain. The manufacture of flax into linen, some coarser, some finer, dayly increased by the great resort of people from Ireland thither, who are well skilled in that business. And the chief trade of this province continued, as for many years past, in the exportation of naval stores, lumber, and fish. By later accounts from Massachusets-bay in New-England, the assembly have voted a bounty of 30s. for every piece of duck or canvas made in the province. Some other manufactures are carried on there, as brown Hollands for women's wear, which lessens the importation of calicoes, and some other sorts of East-India goods. They also make some small quantities of cloth, made of linen and cotton, for ordinary shirting and sheeting. By a papermill set up three years ago, they make to the value of £200 sterling yearly. There are also several forges for making bar iron, and some furnaces for cast iron, or hollow ware, and one slitting mill, and a manufacture of nails. The governor writes concerning the woollen manufacture, that the country people, who used formerly to make most of their clothing out of their own wool, do not now make a third part of what they wear, but are mostly clothed with British manufactures. The same governor, (Belcher) by some of his letters of an older date, in answer to our annual queries, writes, that there are some few copper mines in this province, but so far distant from water-carriage, and the ore so poor, that it is not worth the digging. The surveyorgeneral of his majesty's woods writes, that they have in New-England six furnaces and nineteen forges for making iron; and that in this province many ships are built for the French and Spaniards, in return for rum, melasses, wines, and silks, which they truck there, by connivance. Great quantities of hats are made in New-England, of which the company of hatters of London have likewise lately complained to us. That great quantities of those hats are exported to Spain, Portugal, and our West-India islands. They also make all sorts of iron work for shipping. There are several still-houses and sugar-bakers established in New-England. By later advices from New-York, there are no manufactures there that can affect those of Great-Britain. There is yearly imported into New-York a very large quantity of the woollen manufactures of this kingdom, for their clothing, which they would be rendered incapable to pay for, and would be reduced to the necessity of making for themselves, if they were prohibited from receiving from the foreign sugar colonies, the money, rum, sugar, melasses, cacao, indigo, cotton-wool, &c. which they at present take in return for provisions, horses, and lumber, the produce of that province, and of New-Jersey, of which, he affirms, the British sugar colonies do not take off above one half. But the company of hatters of London have since informed us, that hats are manufactured in great quantities in this province. By the last letters from the deputy-governor of Pennsylvania, he does not know of any trade carried on in that province, that can be injurious to this kingdom. They do not export any woollen or linen manufactures; all that they make which are of a coarser sort, being for their own use. We are farther informed, that in this province are built many brigantines and small sloops, which they sell to the West-Indies. The governor of Rhode-Island informs us in answer to our queries, that there are iron mines there; but not a fourth part iron enough to serve their own use. But he takes no notice of any sort of manufacture set up there. No return from the governor of Connecticut. But we find by some accounts, that the produce of this colony is timber, boards, all sorts of English grain, hemp, flax, sheep, black cattle, swine, horses, goats and tobacco. That they export horses and lumber to the West-Indies, and receive in return, sugar, salt, melasses and rum. We likewise find that their manufactures are very inconsiderable; the people there being generally employed in tillage; some few in tanning, shoemaking, and other handicrafts; others |