uliar to
themselves, most of which will neither increase nor grow to perfection
in England. These they dish up various ways, and find them very
delicious sauce to their meats, both roast and boiled, fresh and salt;
such are the Indian cresses, red buds, sassafras flowers, cymlings,
melons and potatoes, whereof I have spoken at large in the 4th chapter
of the second book, section 20.

It is said of New England, that several plants will not grow there,
which thrive well in England; such as rue, southernwood, rosemary, bays
and lavender; and that others degenerate, and will not continue above a
year or two at the most; such are July flowers, fennel, enula campana,
clary and bloodwort. But I don't know any English plant, grain or fruit,
that miscarries in Virginia: but most of them better their kinds very
much by being sowed or planted there. It was formerly said of the red
top turnip, that there, in three or four, years time, it degenerated
into rape; but that happened merely by an error in saving the seed; for
now it appears that if they cut off the top of such a turnip, that has
been kept out of the ground all the winter, and plant that top alone
without the body of the root, it yields a seed which mends the turnip in
the next sowing.

Sec. 74. Their small drink is either wine and water, beer, milk and water,
or water alone. Their richer sort generally brew their small beer with
malt, which they have from England, though barley grows there very well;
but for want of the convenience of malthouses, the inhabitants take no
care to sow it. The poorer sort brew their beer with molasses and bran;
with Indian corn malted by drying in a stove; with persimmons dried in
cakes, and baked; with potatoes; with the green stalks of Indian corn
cut small, and bruised; with pompions, and with the batates canadensis,
or Jerusalem artichoke, which some people plant purposely for that use;
but this is the least esteemed of all the sorts before mentioned.

Their strong drink is Madeira wine, cider, mobby punch, made either of
rum from the Caribbee islands, or brandy distilled from their apples and
peaches; besides brandy, wine, and strong beer, which they have
constantly from England.

Sec. 75. Their fuel is altogether wood, which every man burns at pleasure,
it being no other charge to him than the cutting and carrying it home.
In all new grounds it is such an incumbrance, that they are forced to
burn great heaps of it to rid the land.