Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-05-16
The most Popular Plant I'm the World.

There is no plant whose history shows SO ma
ny vicsstudes as that of the Tobacco. (.NicotidnG
tabacum.) Imported from America soon after the
discovery of that coatiaent, it was received iato
the old world with species of enthusiasm. Ii
was not long, however. before some Of the evils
and inconyeniences involved in the use oft began
to appear, and host of enemies were raised up
against it. Theol0gists pronounced 1t an invention
of Satan which destroyed the efficacy OF fasting.
Councils forbade it to all ecclesiastics under their
control Popes Urban VIII. and Innocent ri. pun
ished the use Of it with communication Sultan
Amurath ". with the most cruel kind Of death;
Shah Abbas ii. with penalties almost as severe;
! Michael Feodorovitch T0ureff offered bastlnado
for the first offence, cutting of the nose for the Sec
ond and the head for the third offence Prussia
and Denmark simply prohibited James. ofEn-
gland. wrote against it. Finding, however, that
no penalties, however severe, could check the ia
diligence in luxury 50 highly appreciated, Sow
ererns and their Governments soon found it much
more advantageous to turn it into source Of rev.
enue and the cultivation and manufacture OF to-
bacco was gradually subjected almost every where
10 fiscal regulations or monopolies Tobacco was
in such general use in America when first discor-
cred, and is there so widely spread, that 1t is d-
ficult to come to any conclusion as to what precise
part ofthat vast continent is its native country
probably some portion of the Mexican empire
AZ IN the precise dates of lis introduction into En
rome it has been already stated that 1t followed
Eclosely upon the discovery of America. The
Spagiards under Columbus had scarcely landed
in Cuba in 1892 when they began to smoke cigars;
hut they could only fully appreciate its Inxurles
when. in 1918, Fernando Cortez occupied the
island Tobaro where the piant was fonnd growing
in great abundance. Hernandez, the naturalist,
was il is believed. the first who brought it into
Spain from Mexico, in 1889. II was introduced
| into Portugal from Florida by one Flamingo and
into France by Farther Andre Theyet, or by
some friend ofhis, although the more common
opinon is that the first seeds received there weie
| those sent about the year 1860 to Queen Cathe-
rine of Medicis by Jean Nicol, French Anoassa-
dor in Portugal. 1t was probably raised also IN
| Enpland few years later, but ieceIred no notice
! I'll! its well known introduction by Slr 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 Tornabuonl from seeds received
frotn his nephew Monsignor NIcolo Tornabuoni.
| Next Ia Salt tobacco is the most generally con-
samed OF all productions. The annual cousump-
| ton here is on an average 1886 ounces, or con
slderably more than pound weight TO every man
| woman. and child throughout the United King
dom. Moreover this consumption is greatly on
the increase. Between the years 1921 and 1881
the increase at the rate Of about one ounce per
head during the next ten wears it was somew hat
less than al ounce but from lS42 to 1851 it was
three OUNCES making an increase ofnearly A per
cent in proportion to the population within the
last so years. In Denmark exclusive of the
Duchies, the average consumption in 1851 was
nearly 10 ounces per head. But this is nothing
towhatis used in warm countries. If the pop
ulation of the earth be taken at 900 millions.
and the consumption reckoned as equal to that of
Denmark, or 10 oz. per head, the produce Of the
whole world will amount to nearly two millions
of tons q 1858, ,l25)a year. the value Of tho
quantity thus reckoned. at Cd. a pound, amounts
TO above 336, 900 600 sterling London paper.