The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-08-10
Tobacco.

II
gives us an interesting chapter on Tobacco
its history, production, and consumption
which has been condensed by the Lynch
burg VirginidR, from which paper we take
the following extract:
Tobacco, it is well known, is indigenous
TO the American continent. When Colum-
bus discovered this country, he found the
Indians using it as they had probably been
doing from time immemorial. But the use
of tobacco in Europe was not known until
after its introduction by Sir Walter Raleigh
The ancients made use of certain narcotic
drugs, more or less, but none of them ac-
quired the popularity that tobacco did after
its introduction by Raleigh.
From England the practice of smoking
was carried to the Continent. Dutch stu
dents were first taught the art of smoking
at the University of Leyden by students
from England; and hence the greatest
smokers in Europe (the Dutch) derived the
use of the pipe from the English. The
French early became the greatest snuf-tak-
ers, and it was long time before smoking
obtained a general footing among them
Voltaire ascribes the habit of snuff-taking
in Fance to the petit peupie" Early wri-
tiers make mention of the fact that sailors
arriving in Europe from Virginia smoked
tobacco; yet it did not become fashionable
until about the year l1S4.
The production of bacco in the United
States, strange to say, has decreased. From
1910 to 1850 the decrease was very evident
and it took place principally in Virginia.
We suppose it was the result mainly of low
prices. The increased cultivation of wheat,
perhaps, had something to do with it.
Nevertheless, Virginia is the largest TO-
bacco-growing State in the Union. The
quality of Virginia tobacco, too, is well
known to be superior to that of any other
State-except, perhaps, Florida tobacco, for
cigars which somewhat approaches in quail
ity to that ofCuba. Next to Virginia, Ken
lucky produces the most, next Maryland,
and next Tennessee, Missouri, North Caro-
lima, etc. The tobacco growing in the
Western States is, however, of a coarse and
inferior quality compared with that Of
Virginia and North Carolina. Most of the
Western tobacco is shipped abroad, for the
reason that it cannot be made into fine chew
ing brands. In proof of this, it is well
known that our Lynchburg manufacturers
send large quantities of chewing tobacco to
Cincinnati, Louisville, ST. Louis and Mem
phis, cities situated in the centres of the
tobacco-growing region. of the West.
Within few years past, they have intro
duced the cultivation of tobacco into great
many of the Northern States. The season
is so short, however, that 1t cannot be brought
to perfection. What is made is principally
used as wrappers for cigars. The most re-
markable increase is in the State of Con-
necticut. In 1910 that State produced Al :
657 pounds, and in 1850 they run up to !,
25f,624. Some time ago, we saw in the
newspapers an account of /" Tobacco
Growers Convention, in the State of Com
necticut, and did not know what to make
of it, not supposing that leaf of tobacco
had ever BEEN cultivated in that State. 1t
seems, however, in fact, to be q growing
article of trade among them. Besides Con-
necticut, tobacco is also cultivated i'm the
other Northern Stat ) of New Yorlls-&enn-
sylvania, Indiana, Ohio and Illinois.
Were foreign governments induced TO
adopt a liberal policy in regard to the adj
mission Of American tobacco into foreign
markets, our productions would soon be
greatly increased, and its beneficial results
felt in every State of the Union.
1t is a curious fact that tobacco can be
grown in nearly all parts of Western and
Central Europe, as we'll as in Pennsylvania
or Ohio, but in nearly all parts of it its culti-
vation is strictly prohibited by law, for fear
that its production would interfere with tn,
revenues of government. In France It's cul-
tieation is strictly prohibited in all the de-
partments except six.
The total production of leaf tobacco over
I the world in 1913, was estimated at 3T3,-
| 3oS, 900 lbs, about one-third of which was
consumed in Europe. The yield of thC
world at present (ls5s) is not less thar
4O0,000,0 900 lbs, about two-thirds uf which
/ is produced in the United States.
/ The revenue which France and England
I derive from duties on tobacco is enormous
/ 1t appears that it amounts annually to fifty
/ three millions of dollars, and nearly all o
the tobacco from which these countries de-
rive this revenue is produced in the United
States.
The foreign duties on our tobacco are cnor
nous. At the Southern Commercial Con
vention i'll Knoxville, last year. committee
was appointed to memorialize Congress anC
the President on the subject, with a view t,
a reduction of these duties. The memoria
was preF9N and presented-but, SO far
nothing has been done.
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