The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-06-24
TOBACCO.

We have before US docnnent printed by
the order OF Congress, which must prove highly
interesting TO the citizen, OF the Southern and
Western States. IL is letter from the Secre-
tary OF the Treasury, containing statements
showing the probable quantity of tobacco raised
IN the different States, exported abroad and con-
sumed at home, together with statistical tables,
showing the aggregate amount of manufactures
of tobacco, number of persons employed and
capital invested in the United States, and other
papers illustrative of the tobacco culture aud
trade This document was prepared in answer
TO call Of the House of very comprehensive
character. II contains all the information which
the Secretary could gather, but the knowledge
II furnishes in relation to this great staple is still
meagre and imperfect For this defect the
Secretary accounts. He says perhaps there
is no domestic product OF the magnitude OF the
one now under con sileraton to which so little
attention has been paid by this Government,
either as 10 its enlarged growth al home, by
counteractng foreign restrictions, or TO the pre-
paralion of such details a, would be necessary
10 exhibit its cultivation, growth, manufacture
the cause here stated no public records exist
which contain extensive information con
corning this important staple and mu;h there
fore Of the matter contained in the document
has been compiled from various sources sup
piled by the talent and industry of private indi-
vduals. Yet with all the disadvantages en-
countered in preparing it, much knowledge, no
doubt valuable, may be derived from it,
In reply to one requisitlon in the call Of the
House, the document contains paper from
Mr.. Lyford from which we learn that Virginia
and Maryland, and probably North Carolina,
were the first States in which 10 bacco
was first cullivat d as staple In Ken
lucky, Ohio, and Tennessee, it ha, been so
cultivated ever since the adoption of the Fede-
raj Constitution. Besides these States, Nilsson
ri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, In
diana, and Florida, are engaged in lis culture,
AS we can give but BIRDS eye view Of the con
tents of this pamphlet, we recur to the table
showing the amount raised in all the United
States in the year 1910, as furnished by the cen
,sus. A synopsis of tabular statements we can
not easily make; but in lieu of it, we will make
such selections as will, in our opinion, give some
idea OF the general contents of the document
The table informs Us that it is estimated
222, l63,336 pounds were gathered in 1910; Of
this quantity, more than one-half was obtained
from four States-Vrginla, Kentucky, Tennes-
see, and Mary land Virginla furnished about one
third of the whole amount Kentucky one fourth
Tennessee and Maryl land each, about one-ninth.
North Carolina is the fifth on the list of the TO-
bacco States producing l6772,359 pounds,
while Maryland gathers 24,Sl6,0l2 pounds,
Missouri and Ohio rank next, and Maine pro-
duces none.
The quantity consumed in the United States
is question more difficult of determination, and
its solution can, from the want of sufficient data,
be but conjectural. Taking the difference be-
tween the average growth for twenty years, and
the average exports for the same period, it is
found that about one fourth of the whole quaint
ty raised is consumed at home.
In another article, we shall endeavor to give
brief summary OF the information contained in
o her parts of the docu nent, with the hope that
our selections may benefit those whom the pam
phet itself does not reach.