Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1865-01-18


Sea Islands, the thorn apples of the Andes,
theslednm and hop of Northern Europe
and thepnarcotic fungus of Siberia, have
been ID use from time immemorial."
Our article, however, deals chiefly with
tobacco, and to this we now give our spe-
cifc attention. The plant is believed by
some to have received its name from Ia
bacco, q province Of 7 oucatan by others,
from the Island of Tobago, one Of the Car
ribees and still by others, from Tobasco,
in the Gulf of Florida. Here, at any rate
it was long cultivated aud used before its
discovery bv Europeans In 1892, Colum-
bus found the chiefs of Cuba, smoking CT
gars !; and Cortes met it when he penetra-
tea to Mexico. In 1860, it was carried to
France by Nicot; in 1885 to England;
and IN 1901, to Java. - j Il
Tobacco grows in almost every country
and is perhaps one of the most extensively
cultivated plants in the world. The finest
qualities however, are raised within thirty
five degrees of the equator as, for instance,
in Syria. +" Its use has become not less
universal than it's cultivation" i" In Eu
rope, from the plains of sunny CASTLE to
the frozen Archangel, and from the Ural
to Iceland, the pipe, the cigar and snnff
boxes are common solace. In vain King
James opposed it, in sixteen hundred and
something, by his counterblast to tobac
CO.," in vain Pope Urban VIII Numbered
ont his bull against it; in vain was the use
of it prohibited in Russia, and the -knout
threatened for the first offence and death
for the second. Opposition and persecu-
ton only excited more general attention to
the plant, awakened curiosity and tempted
people to try it's effects.
I" In the East, the priests and Sultansof
Turkey and Persia declared smoking sin
against their holy religion; yet the Turks
and Persians are the greatest smokers in
the world. In India, all classes and both
sexes smoke. The Siamese Chew moder-
ately, but smoke perpetually.s The Bur.
mese even to infants of three years old,
smoke cigars. In China, every female
from the age Of nine, wears small silken
pocket to hold tobacco and pipe. The
form of pipes was taken by the Dutch from
the early Mongol tribes.
The plant of the Chinese tobacco grows
wild in the East Indies, and is different
from American tobacco. The tobacco of
Eastern Thibet is yellow, and in flavor
resembles the finest Syrian tobacco, or
Nicotiana aaasticG. The tobacco of Gen.
trail and Southern India is the Nscomana
tabacuma, or Virginia tobacco. There is q
common green tobacco, smaller than the
Virginian, which is grown in Russia, Swe-
den and North Germany and two varie-
ties are grown in parts of Ireland, under
the names of Oronoko and Negro head.
In 1862, the quantity raised in Virginia
then the chief producer-was only 60,
900 pounds. In one hundred and sixty
years the product has risen to nearly 240,-
O00,0 pounds! The annual consump.
ton in Great Britain is 100000 pounds,
or seventeen ounces per head The duty on
tobacco is three shillings pound, and the
British revenue accruingtherefrom, before
the war, was about 100000 sterling per
annum.
In Denmark, the average consumption
of the weed is about four and half
pounds per head. The total produce of
the plant and consumption is estimated at
100000 of tons, or 4,4so,OOO, 900 of
pounds, equal to about seventy ounces a
head for the whole human races At eight
hundred pounds per acre, this would re-
quire {, $780, 900 acres of rich lands to be
Kept constantly under cultivation. The COM
parative magnitude of this quantity will
be more apparent,> when it is stated that
the tobacco yearly raised weighs as much
AS the wheat consumed by 100000
Englshmen.
The finest tobacco in America is from
Cuba. That of the Island of Suzou, in
| the Philippines, from which the celebra-
Manila cigars are made, is nearly equal
from Cadoe, in Java. The yellow tobac-
co Of China is peculiarly mild and agreea-
BILE. In Western Asia the most priced
to baccoes are those of Latakia (the an
Gent Laodicea) in Syria, and Shiraz in
Persia. =
Of the Dutch tobacco about 100000
ofpounds are grown, one half of which is
bought by the French government, for the
supply of France, and the rest shipped to
! America. In England tobacco is used for
the purpose Of adnlterating common beer.
Well packed tobacco, like some wines
improves by voyage. 1t undergoes
by the the way, aspecies of fermentation
by which its flavor is mellowed. Hence
the European weed is better in America
than at home ''-.-. ~-
! The effects Of tobacco vary in differen
constitutions.
BY some psychologists it is stated tina
no we'll ascertained ill-efects have beer
shown to result from moderate habit O
smoking Yet others demonstrate to tn,
contrary, that poisonous principle is gen
Grated, in the blood, which eventually dis
turbs the entire system. Great smokers
especially those who use short pipes ant
cigars, are said to liable to a cameron
affection of the lips.
According to DR.. Madden. " the pleas