land_ might save a great deal of Trouble and Expence,
and employ their People in better Business than Hop-Yards, if
Hop-Grounds were cultivated in _Virginia_, which is much fitter for the
Purpose.

As for physical Plants and Trees, abundance of Poor might be employed in
_simpling_ and collecting Drugs for the Apothecaries Service, which
abound there; such as Sassafras, Saxafras, Snakeroot, with numberless
more, whose Virtue is unknown; and undoubtedly among such various Sorts
of anonymous Plants and Shrubs, there must be many whose Qualities are
strange to the most skilful _Europeans_, tho' many of them be understood
by the _Indian_ Doctors: If it be not the true _Cortex_, yet they have a
_Bark_ very like it in Colour, Taste, and Operation.

I know that Abundance of Sumack is yearly consumed in _England_; but not
being perfect in the Use and Nature of it, I shall only say that it
grows there in great Plenty; and that the _Indians_ have several fine
Colours both for Dying and Painting, that we know nothing of, as to
their Composition and Use; but Enquiry into these Things, and Experience
might, for what any knows, in a small Time turn to a good Account, both
for the publick Advantage, and for the Interest of particular Persons.

I shall say little of Sawing-Mills, since they are already in Use there,
and the great Benefit of them is so well known. Certainly it must be
improper to bestow much Labour and Expence upon that which might easily
be done for a small Cost, and with much quicker Expedition; yet is this
wonderful and useful Invention prohibited in some Parts of _Great
Britain_, upon Account of a few that pretend they can't get their
Livelihood by any other, but the stupid slavish Work of Sawing: But in
my Opinion we might as well prohibit the Use of Boats in all our Rivers,
because it interferes with the Interest of the Carriers, and hinders the
Consumption of great Quantities of Hay and Oats in the Inns. I wonder
that they don't neglect the Use of Horses, Jacks, Handspikes, and Cranes
in his Majesty's Yards, as well as Sawing-Mills; since each of them
abbreviates Labour and lessens the Expence, requiring fewer People than
must be employed, were it not for those Inventions, so much hated by the
common People; but certainly these might be so employed in other
Business, as to get more Money with less Labour. But to return to
_Virginia_, I am certain that if more Sawing-Mills were set up there, it
would bring great