Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-07-26
TOBACCO.

There is no plant whose history shows SO
many vicissitudes as that of Tobacco, (Niro-
tiana &obocum.) Imported from America
soon after the discovery Of that continent, ID
was received in the old world with species
Of enthusiasm. 1t was not long, however,
before some of the evils and Inconvenience
involved in the use Of it began to appear, and
a host of enemies were raised up against it.
Theologists pronounced it an invention of
Satan. which destroyed the efficacy of fasting.
Councils forbade it to all ecclesiastics under
their control. Popes Urban VIII. and LIMO
cert XII. punished the use Of it with excom-
munication; Sultan Amurt Nv. with the most
cruel kinds Of death; Shah Abbas III. with
penalties almost as severe Michael Feodoro-
witch Tourieff offered bastinado for the first
offence, cutting off the nose for the second,
and the head for the third offence; Prussia
and Denmark simply prohibited and James
Of England, wrote against it. Finding, how.
ever. that no penalties however severe, could
check the indulgence in luxury so highly
appreciated. sovereigns and their governments
soon found it much more to their advantage
to turn it ipto sort Of revenue; and the cul-
tivation and manufacture Of Tobacco was
gradually subjected almost everywhere to fis-
cal regulations or monopolies. Tobacco was
in such general use in America when first
discovered, and is there SO widely spread, that
it is difficult to come to any conclusion as to
what precise part Of that vast continent is its
native country--probably some portion of the
Mexican empire. As to the precise date of
its introduction into Europe, it has been
already stated that it followed closely upon
the discovery OF America. The Spaniards
under Columbus had scarcely landed in Cuba
in 1892, when they began to smoke cigars,
but they could only fully appreciate its luxu-
ries when, in 1913, Fernando Cortez occu-
pied the island Of Tobago, where the plant
was found growing in great abundance
Hernandez, the naturalist, was, it is believed,
the first who brought it into Spain from Next
co, in 1889. 1t was introduced into Portugal
from Florida by one Flamingo, and into France
by Father Andrew Thevct, or by some friends
Of his, although the more common opinion is
that the first seeds received were those sent,
about the year 1860, to Queen Catherine of
Mcdicis, by Jean Nicol, French Ambassador
in Portugal. 1t was probably raised also in
England few years later, but received no
notice till its well known introduction by Sir
Francis Drake, from Virginia in 1886 In
Tuscany it was first cultivated under Cosmo
de Medici, who died in 1874. having been
originally raised by Bishop Alfonso lorna
buoni, from seeds received from his nephew,
Monsignor Nicolo Tornabuoni.
Next to salt, tobacco is the most generally
consumed Of all productions, The annual
consumption here is on an average 1856
ounces, or considerably more than pound
weight to every man, woman and child
throughout the United Kingdom. Moreover,
this consumption is greatly on the increase.
Between the years 1921 and 1881, the increase
was at the rate of about one ounce per head,
during the next ten years it was somewhat
less than an ounce but from 1912 to 1851 it
was three ounces; making an increase of
nearly A per cent. in proportion to the popu.
lation within the last 30 years. In Denmark,
exclusive Of the Duchies, the average con.
sumption in 1851 was nearly 70 ounces per
head But this is nothing to what is used in
warm countries. IT the population of the
earth be taken at 1000 millions, and the
consumption rcckoned as equal to that
Denmark, or 20 ounces per head, the produce
of the whole world will amount to nearly two
millions of tons l,953,l25) a year. The
value Of the quantity thus reckoned at I'd.
per pound. amounts to over 936,00000O.