e ruination of the
tobacco planters, the General Assembly established fixed rates for
tobacco in the payment of certain fees. In 1645 these fees were payable
in tobacco rated at one and one-half pence per pound; ten years later
the rate had increased only a half pence. The war with Holland,
restrictions on the Dutch trade, and the plague in England brought
forth another serious depression in the colonies in the 1660's. In 1665
the tobacco fleet did not go to the colonies on account of the plague
in London. Tobacco prices dropped to one pence per pound.

[Illustration: METHODS OF TRANSPORTING TOBACCO TO MARKET

a, Upon canoes. b, By upland boats. c, By wagons. d,
Rolling the hogshead.]

[Illustration: PLANTATION TOBACCO HOUSES AND PUBLIC WAREHOUSES

a, The common tobacco house. b, Tobacco hanging on a
scaffold. c, The operation of prizing. d, Inside of a
tobacco house, showing the tobacco hanging to cure. e,
An outside view of a public warehouse. f, showing the
process of inspection.]

This new depression stirred the Virginia legislature. In 1662 the
Assembly prohibited the planting of tobacco after the last of June,
provided that Maryland would do the same. Maryland rejected the idea.
This would have eliminated a great deal of inferior tobacco, for much
of the tobacco planted in July seldom fully matures before it must be
harvested to save it from the frost. The planters in both colonies
continued to produce excessive crops and the depression became more
acute. Led by Virginia, the North Carolina and Maryland legislatures
prohibited the cultivation of tobacco in 1666. Lord Baltimore again
refused to permit a cessation in Maryland, consequently Virginia and
North Carolina repealed their legislation. Instead of cessation the
Virginia crop was so large in 1666 that 100 vessels were not enough to
export the crop. The possibility of another enormous crop in 1667 was
eliminated by a severe storm that destroyed two-thirds of the crop.
However, the glutted market resulting from the large crop grown in 1666
caused prices to fall to a half pence per pound.

In the 1670's prices climbed to one and one-half pence, but a
tremendous crop in 1680 glutted the market again. The crop was said to
have been so large that it would have supplied the demand for the next
two years, even if none were produced in 1681. The General Assem