White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1858-11-11
asefal arta Gariulls.
Tho Most Popular Plant in the world.

AAo 8VSs = VPHAek 111ub N nc " OkA1.
There is no plant whose history shows
so many vicissitudes as that Of tobacco,
{ lNicOtidna TO6deum.) Imported from
America soon after the discovery Of that
continent, it was received into the old
world with . species Of enthusiasm. Il
was not long, however, before some of
the evils and Inconvenience involved in
the use Of it began to appear, and host
of enemies were raised up against Il.
Theologists pronounced it an invention
Of Satan. which destroyed the efficacy Of
fasting. Councils forbade it to all eccls-
sisstics under their control. POpss Urban
VIII, and Innocent XI, punished the use
of it with accommodation Sultan AM
urath Nv, with the most cruel kind Of
death; Shah Abbas III, with penalties
almost as severe: Michael FsodorOyitch
Tourieff offered bastinado for the FIRST
oftncs. cutting of the nose for the second,
and the head for the third offence; Prus-
STA and Denmark simply prohibited; and
James of England, wrote against il.
Finding. however. that no penalties, how
ever severe, could check the indulgence
in luxury so highly appreciated, Sow
ereigns and their governments soon found
it much more advantageous to turn It in
to a source of revenue and the cultiva-
zion Of tobacco was gradually subjected
almost everywhere to fiscal regulations
or monopolies. Tobacco was in such
general use in America wher first discov-
cred, and was there so widely spread, that
it is difficult to come to any conclusion
as to what precise part of that vast conti-
nent is its native country-probably somO
portion Of the Mexican empire. As to
the precise dates Of its Introduction into
Europe. it has been already stated that iE
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 Injury
when, in 1918, Fernando Cortez oeeu-
pied the island of Tobago, where the
plant was found growing in great abun-
dance. Hernandez, the naturalist, was,
it is believed, the first who brought il in
to Spain from Mexico, in 1889. Il was
introduced into Portugal from Florida
by one Flamingo, and into France By
Father Andre Thevet, or by some friend
of his, although the more common opin-
ion is that the first seeds received were
those sent about the year 1860 to Queen
Cstharine Of Medieis by Jean Nicol,
French Ambassador in Portugal. It was
probably raised also in England 3 few
years later, but received no notice till It's
well known introduction by Sir Francis
Drake, from Virginia, 1885. In Tusca-
ny it was first cultivated under Cosmo
de Medici, who died 1874, having been
raised by Alfonso Tornibuoni
from seeds received from his nephew,
Monsignor Nieolo Tornabuoni.
Next to salt, Tobacco is the most gensr-
ally consumed of all productions. The
annual consumption here is on an average
1886 ounces. or considerably more than
q pound weight to every man, woman
and child throughout the United King
dom. Moreover. this consumption i
greatly on the increase. Between the
years 1921 and 1881, the increase was At
the rate Of about one ounce per head du-
ring the next ten years it was somewhat
D than an ounce bat from 1872 to
1851 it was three ounces making an IN
crease ofnearly A per cent in proportion
10 the population within the last 30 years.
In Denmark, exclusive Of the Dutchies,
The average consumption in 1851 was
nearly 70 ounces per head. Bot this %
nothing to what is used in warm ceuDlrisS.-
If the population of the earth be- taken at
900 millions, and the consumption
as equal to that Of Denmark
Or 20 OF. per head. the produce Of the
whole world will amount to nearly tive
millions of tons { ,953. 125) aysar. Tia,
value of the quantity thas rsckoned. q
I'd pound. amounts to above E3R. 000,.
BOO sterling.-EOndoS Paper.