Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-12-18
TOBACCO In ALGERIA.


In the last Letter of our Paris Correspondent he
writes as follows on subject of much interest to
many of our readers:
An article in the November number of Hunts Mer-
chants Magazine the extent and progress of the to-
bacco trade in the United States has been copied with
favor in many Of the journals that think you will
welcome to your columns considerable of in
formation which have been collecting for year
touching the Tobacco Of France the quantity produced
the quantity imported its manufacture and SALE the
Government monopoly that exists its and profits,
prices to consumers, SC.
shall embody this information in several subsequent
letters. To-day let notice the great extension that
the culture of tobacco has taken in the French possessions
of African extension which bids fair realize the hopes
that already founded enabling France dis
become independent United States for her
supplies of article from which she derives very mpor
tant portion of her public The amount of
African production will surprise American produ
1t must tell if has already told sens
bly, upon their sales and profits observe in the table
you have copied from Hunts Magazine that in 1850 the
exports from the United States France amounted to
1850 hogsheads and in 1851 100 hogsheads only
But this sudden decline of onethrd in the amount of
export may be accounted for, least in part by refer
ence to other than Algerian production. The
French rge Ia special administration for the manufac
ture and sale of tobacco the and for the benefit
of the State in execution of the Government monopoly
has always hand in its warehouses large supply
of tobacco which will enable it for year to dispense
with foreign purchases without affecting the of
the manufactured article delivered to consumption This
in fact occurred in 1850 when the prices by the reggie
for its supply of exotic tobacco low that many
foreign contractors declined accepting them.
The soil and climate of Algeria asserted to be re-
ohl tla
rapidly becoming the great staple the production of
which all European coonsts turning their attention
But other naturally to
result While in France its production is strictly limited
by law to certain localities andto certain individuals who
subjected to close and annoying Government survei
lance while in France the ree fixes, without the
sent of producers the prices at which the article
must be sold, and enjoys the exclusive privilege of its
manufacture and sale to the consumer, in Algeria pro-
duction manufacture and sale absolutely free The
colonist cuyaes tobacco not he pleases and as
largely he peases and he disputes the price with the
French rge with any other purchaser aad refuses
sell except at what he considers remunerating price
At the date of the conquest S30 few of the native
tribes only possessed plantations of tobacco Even the
required for local consumption almost entire
ly supplied by foreign Importation.
The culture did not make notable progress among the
European coonsts t in 1843, the French regie in the
hope Of ultimately obtaining convenient, cheaper
and supply Of the article than foreign countries
could furnish cast its eye upon Africa 1t Immediately
instituted and into Algeria special permanent
mission, composed of intelligent agents. charged to
courage the culture of tobacco among the coonsts by all
the in their power to be constantly at hand to
give advice and instruction. and to buy for the rg at
remuneratng prices the tobacco that might be produced
The good effects Of this promptly observed
In 1874 the commission furnished tobacco plants to three
colonists who cultivated together joint little
plot Of three-and-a-half The crop 4,427
pounds which the reggie promptly bought at $40 cents
per pound The following year thirty-two colonists
planted 309 acres, and produced crop Of 117,5533
pounds which disposed of to the rye the average
price Of 10 $40 cents per pound The next year Q846
sxyseven planters nearly quadruped the crop and the
tobacco improved quality from the which the
mission took procure choice seed from abroad The
commercial crisis of 1847 and the political revolution of
184s checked this progress The latter year the
sold to the reggie by the European coonsts 16 597
pounds The quantity annually increased till 1851 when
the French re purchased from the European planters
of Algeria the large amount of 5l3,758 pounds. Ac
that have recently arrived from the colony and
published in the Mone show that for the present year
the production has taken extension that
of 1851. The crop Of of the three provinces Al
geirs) alone is estimated at 1913 lag pounds If the
ClOps vi the PROVINCES hlgeTlh
and Consantne) increased in the proportion
and they promise to be so-the total production Of the
European coloniss for 1862 will amount to 3,308, 600
pounds Let some Of your arithmecians calculate from
the above data how long it will be before African produc
ton increasing in this ratio France will become indepen
dent Of America, and be competing with in the
kets Of Germany, Holland and Great Britain for the
supply Of the raw material The quality Of the tobacco
is constantly improving from greater care taken in TIE
cultivation and increased skill in preparation.
But the above figures significant they are refer to
part only of Algerian productonthat Of the European
colonsts-and except for the year 1882 indicate but
portion of their crops viz the disposed of to
the French rgie The native Arab population partici
pntes largely in the culture of tobacco and sharing in
the encouragement extended by the administration every
year shows improvement in the quality Of their tobacco
and increase in the quantity You viii the amount
of Arab contribution to the French manufacturers in the
tables which shall presently suboin The tobacco pro-
duced by the Arabs Of the country is found to possess
marked characteristics distinguishing 1t from that which
the European settlers offer to the rgic The natives c
tivatc species whose light leaves bear resemblance 70
the productions Of the Levant and Of Havana They