The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-03-13
About Tobacco-Its Discovery, Culture,
Uses, Expense. etc.
BY A RURAL BOY.

BY RURAL BOY.
Tobacco is native of tropical Amer
lea. 1t was discovered in st. Domingo
in 1896; afterwards by the Spaniards in
Yucatan, 1920. 1t was first introduced
into England in 1888. AT the present
time it is cultivated in most parts of
the world, and nowhere more abund-
antly than in the United States. Vlr-
ginia is, perhaps, the most celebrated
for its culture.
In our latitude tobacco is cultivated
somewhat in this manner The young
shoots produced from seeds thickly
sown in beds, are transplated during
the month of May, and set in rows with
an interval of three or four feet between
the plants. Through the whole period
of its growth it requires constant at
tention. The development OF the leaves
is promoted by removing the top OF
each plant, thus preventing 1T from
running into flower and seed. The
harvest is in August. The ripe plants,
having been cut off above the roots, are
dried under cover and then stripped of
their leaves, which are tied in bundles
and packed in hogsheads. While hung
up in the drying house the leaves under
go curing process, consisting In expos
IRE to considerable degree of heat
through which they become moist, or
in other words are said to sweat, after
which they are dried for packing. The
great diversity in the quality of tobacco
is produced by difference of soil and
mode of cultivation.
Tobacco has many medical properties
and uses, but, owing to the excessive
nausea which it occasions, it is seldom
administered to the stomach. 1t is fire.
quently used externally, but this is at
tended with danger. The expressed
Juice of TIE leaves applied to the head
of child eight years of age, for the
cure of tinea cdpitis, caused its death.
Death has also been produced by the
inhalation of the smoke Some old to-
bacco-chewers are always fond of spit
ting the juice upon fresh cut or wound,
but this should never be allowed; be-
cause it has never caused any harm is
no reason it never will. 1t affects diff
ferent persons differently; that which
will not iniure one may cause the death
of another person. In 1870 some 262, =
732, AL pounds of tobacco were raised
in the United States, and probably a
great part of this was used for smoking
and chewing. This crop, calling it
worth ten cents per pound, would amount
to over $26, 000,00
Probably there are very few who have
ever made any estimate of the amount
of money spent for tobacco during a
lifetime. We will make little esti-
mate Surprising a man chews twenty
cents worth of tobacco per week
amounting in one year to SO, 400, and
smokes three cigars day amounting
in one year to $109.50). If he used it
forty years, the whole, tobacco and CT
CARS, would amount to 81, 1876. The in
terest ON this for one year would be
$2S7. 76-enough to pay his board, at 81
per week, one year, and leave surplus
of S79.76. Now, if all the young mer
who use tobacco and find it so hard tc
make both ends meet, would make &
careful estimate and lay up each week {
sum of money that would balance the
amount spent for tobacco, and at the
end of the year put it out at interest
and so continue each year, they woul(
be astonished by the rapid increase o
their money. And in their old age, i
nothing had been gained in any othe
way, here would be sufficient to liv,
upon without work the rest of thei
days, besides being rid of disagreed
BILE habit