"Letter of John Pory, Secretary of Virginia, to Sir Dudley Carleton: 1619"

"As touching the quality of this country, three thinges there bee which in fewe yeares may bring this Colony to perfection; the English plough, Vineyards, and Cattle. For the first, there be many grounds here cleared by the Indians to our handes, which being much worne out, will beare no more of their corne, which requireth an extrordinary deale of sappe and substance to nourish it; but of our graine of all sortes it will bear great abundance....

Vines here are in suche abundance, as where soever a man treads, they are ready to embrace his foote. I have tasted here of a great black grape as big as a Damascin, that hath a true Muscatell-taste; the vine whereof now spending itselfe to the to pps of high trees, if it were reduced into a vineyard, and there domesticated, would yield incomparable fruite. The like or a better taste have I founde in a lesser sorte of black grapes. White grapes also of great excellency I have hearde to be in the country; but they are very rare, nor did I ever see or taste of them. For cattle, they do mightily increase here, both kine, hogges and goates, and are much greater in stature, then the race of them first brought out of England. No lesse are our horses and mares likely to multiply, which proove of a delicate shape, and of as good spirite and metall.

All our riches for the present doe consiste in Tobacco, wherein one man by his owne labour hath in one yeare raised to himselfe to the value of 200l sterling; and another by the meanes of sixe servants hath cleared at one crop a thousand pound Engl ish. These be true, yet indeed rare examples, yet possible to be done by others. Our principall wealth (I should have said) consisteth in servants: But they are chardgeable to be furnished with armes, apparell and bedding and for their transportation an d casual, both at sea, and for their first yeare commonly at lande also: But if they escape, they prove very hardy, and sound able men.

...But to leave the Populace, and to come higher; the Governour here, who at his first coming, besides a great deale of worth in his person, brought onely his sword with him, was at his late being in London, together with his lady, out of his meer gett ings here, able to disburse very near three thousand pounde to furnishe huimselfe for his voiage. And once within seven yeares, I am persuaded (absit invidia verbo) that the Governours place here may be as profittable as the lord Deputies of Irland."

(p. 283-85, Narratives of Early Virginia: 1606-1625, Lyon G. Tyler, ed. NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1907)