TRADE AND MANUFACTURES OF THE PROVINCE OF NEW-YORK.

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y what methods the produce and Trade of the Plantations can be best encouraged with the greatesta dv antage to England. It may be that many in England are not so well informed what their colonysaie able to produce & by what means the people in the colonys will most effectually be put upon suchanufacture or Trade as shall be most beneficial to the Kingdom for the Colonys differ very much10 ^ ie s °fi & inclination & humour of the InhabitantsIt seems to be the desire of the Government of Great Britain that y° Kingdom be supplied withnaval Stores from their Plantations, that they may not rely so much on the Pleasure of foreign Princesfor what is so necessary to y° Strength & Wealtli of y e Kingdom. Towards this end none of HisMatys Provinces can be more useful than this & perhaps no country in the World is naturally betterfitted for such produce or manufactures. There is not any where a richer Soil for producing Hempthan in many places in this Province—Such Land as has every year borne grain for above 50 yearstogether without dunging in which I believe this excells all the other Provinces in North America .Our barren Sandy Lands bear great quantitys of Pitch pine for Tar, The Northern parts of theIhevince large white Pines* for Masts : & for iron we have great plenty of that Oar in many placesdose by the Bank of the River, where Ships of 3 or 400 Tuns may lay their sides the ground everywhere covered with wood for the Furnace and no want of Water Streams any where lor the ForgeThe reasons which have hindred the Inhabitants from going upon any of these manufactures aree difficulty witli which people can be persuaded to leave the common means by which they havesupported their familys to adventure upon any new methods which are always expensive in the begin-*uug & uncertain in the profits they yield This reasoning has the more force because few of thelanters have any stock of money by them but depend yearly on the Produce of their Farms for thesupport of their Families. North America containing a vast Tract of Land every one is able toprocure a piece of land at an inconsiderable rate and therefore is fond to set up for himself ratherthan work for hire This makes labor continue very dear a common laborer usually earning 3 shil-fings by the day & consequently any undertaking which requires many hands must be undertakenat a fiu' greater expense than in Europe & too often this charge only overballances all the advantageswhich the country naturally affords & is the hardest to overcome to make any commodity or Manu-facture profitable which can be raised in Europe

The Merchant will not readily adventure his Stock in raising Hemp or making Tar being unac-quainted with husbandry and will more difficultly be induced, because he knows the Farmer doesUot gain yearly half" the common Interest of the value of his land & stock after he has deducted thecharge of labor.

One of the methods already thought of lor making this Province more useful as to Naval Stores, isa Severe prohibition of cutting any white Pines fit for Masts , No doubt the destroying of so necessarya commodity ought to be prevented & it would be difficult to frame a Law for that end with manyexceptions or Limitations which could be of much use on the other hand when the literal Breach ofthe Law becomes generally unavoidable it must loose its force, The Lands of this Province aregranted upon condition that the Grantee within three years after the Grant effectually cultivate threefl cres for every fifty granted & it will not be supposed that it is the intent of the Law to put a stopcultivating the Land which however cannot be done without destroying the limber that growsUpon it One at first is ready to fear that the poor Planter is under a sad Dilemma. If he does notcultivate he cannot maintain his family & he must loose his Land; if he does cultivate, he cuts downIcees, for which he is in danger of being undone by prosecution & fines—The Inhabitants cannotudd Houses without pine for boards & covering, nor send Vessels to sea without masts. It cannot

cliis Neither the Pitch Pine nor White Pine are properly Pines according- to the Botanists but are put by them under (lieCe ; of re Uarix the White Pine being called by Tournefoiirt— Larix oritnlalis fructu rotundiori obtuso & by J Bonhim.rus ma ena, Sim Libani, Conifera. I have not seen the true Pine to the Northward of Maryland .

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