In the original Dutch Patent of the town, there was some reserve of quit rent to be paid to the Governor. But as the Patent cannot be found, the amount, or the kind of this quit rent cannot be ascertained. But on the 6th of June, 1656, Governor Stuyvesant issued a peremptory order, prohibiting the inhabitants of Flatbush, as well as those of Brooklyn and Flatlands, from removing their crops of grain from the fields until the tythes reserved by their Patents had either been taken or commuted for.

It is not distinctly known to what branches of agriculture our early Dutch ancestors devoted themselves. But as for a considerable time they had to cultivate the ground without the aid of animals, and chiefly by the hoe and spade, it is probable that they turned their attention to that which would yield the most profit from the smallest piece of ground. There is reason to believe that in common with some other places, on the west end of Long-Island, tobacco was raised in considerable quantities in this town during its early settlement. For in addition to that consumed in the Colony, shipments of this article were made from New-Amsterdam to Holland. As early as 1643, a grant for a tobacco plantation at the Wallabought was made. Tobacco became too, at an early day a standard of value for lands and other property: And in 1638, an Act was passed, commonly called the Tobacco Statute, in which, mention is made of the high estimation in which the tobacco shipped from New-Netherlands was held in the European market, and various regulations are prescribed relative to the manner in which it shall be cultivated, inspected, and sold. We have no doubt that the inhabitants of Midwout early engaged in the production of this article. (See Thompson's History of Long-Island for the Tobacco Statute, page 177.) Great attention too was paid to the raising of Barley. Vast quantities of malt liquors were made in New-Amsterdam, and of consequence, a ready market was there found for this article. It became in some subsequent years almost the staple of this part of Long-Island; so much so, that 20,000 bushels of Barley were annually sold from Flatbush alone.

Van der Donk, in his History of New-Netherlands, which was published in 1655, also states that much attention was paid by the Dutch agriculturalists to the cultivation of the best vegetables and fruits of various kinds; and a great variety of beautiful flowers. Nothing of very special interest occurred in Flatbush, from the date which we have last mentioned, until the period of the surrender of the country to the English, which took place in the year 1664. The number of the inhabitants in the town, appears to have increased quite rapidly up to this time, when it is supposed it contained a larger population than at the conclusion of the revolutionary war, in 1783.

We will be pardoned for digressing here for a few moments, for the purpose of narrating the manner, and some of the terms and conditions, on which the surrender of the country was made to the English authorities. King Charles, by Letters Patent, granted to his brother, James, the Duke of York, his heirs and assigns, Long-Island, all Hudsons' River, and all lands from the west side of Connecticut River to the east side of Delaware Bay, together with all royalties and right of government. This em-