Two plants, the culture of which was strongly urged by the English
authorities, were hemp and flax. In this case, greater success was
realized than occurred with most of the demands that came from across
the ocean. It had been ordered in 1658, by the General Assembly:
"That what person or persons, soever, shall at any time hereafter
make, in this colonie, so much silke, flax, hopps or any other staple
commodities (except tobacco) as is worth two hundred pounds sterling,
or English wheate to the value of five hundred pounds stirling in one
yeare, and exporte the same or cause the same to be exported, or
shall first make two tunne of wine raized out of a vineyard made in
this collonie, shall have given him by this country, for an
encouragement, ten thousand pounds of Virginia tobacco."
Apparently no one qualified for the bounty on flax for, in 1661,
provision was made for importing some flax seed from England. No
price was fixed, in 1666, on "flax by reason of the uncertainty of
the quality." In 1682, bounties were offered: "For every peck of flax
seeds, four and twentie pounds of tobacco, and for every peck of hemp
seed twenty pounds of tobacco." Bounties were also offered for hemp
and flax woven into cloth. It was also ordered that every tithable
person should produce one pound of dressed hemp and one pound of
dressed flax or two pounds of either annually. From that time on
considerable hemp and flax were raised in Virginia, but most of the
crop was used at home. Linen cloth was highly prized. There was also
a demand for cordage made of hemp fibers for ships.