Fifth Day in VA

May 4, 1730

A Tobacco Field

           Today, I tried tobacco for the first time. It was not very good, but I suspect it takes some time to get used to. Apparently it's the leading export by a huge margin in Virginia. I do not really see the big deal about it, but that's coming from someone who had never heard of it until now. Seth told me that Virginia used to be perfect for cultivating tobacco, but all the farmers grew so much of it that they have pretty much exhausted all the fertile land, and are constantly trying to find fresh, new land. Also, there is a big focus on plantations here. There are so many black slaves working on them, along with indentured servants. They grow all types of crops. Back in New England, it is very different. On some small farms, the surest crop is stones, not tobacco, because the soil is heavily frozen and made up of countless stones. Utilizing the dense forests located there, some New Englanders resorted to hacking timber and becoming experts in ship building and commerce. Also, fishing is a major industry there, with the staple crop being cod. As a result of the tough-to-farm soil, the residents of New England have become master traders to acquire the materials not readily available to them. I have learned so many things on my trip!