SOLANACEX, 
on elevated ground, where the temperature alone suits it in 
these latitudes. 
In the culture of tobacco in America, the plants are reared on 
. beds in spring; and when they have acquired about 4 leaves, 
they are planted in the field, in well prepared earth, about 3 
feet distance every way. Every morning and evening the plants 
require to be looked over, in order to destroy a worm, which 
sometimes invades the bud. When 4 or 5 inches high, they are 
moulded up. As soon as they have 8 or 9 leaves, and are 
ready to put forth a stalk, the top is nipped off, in order to 
make the leaves longer and thicker, by diverting all the ener- 
gies of the plant to them. After this, the buds which sprout 
from the joints of the leaves are all plucked, and not a day is 
suffered to pass without examining the leaves to destroy a large 
caterpillar which is sometimes very destructive to them. When 
they are fit for cutting, which is known by the brittleness of the 
leaves, they are cut with a knife close to the ground ; and after 
lying some time, are carried to the drying-shed, where the 
plants are hung up by pairs, upon lines having a space between, 
that they may not touch each other. In this state they remain 
to sweat and dry. When perfectly dry the leaves are stript, 
and covered with blankets. Care is taken not to overheat them ; 
for which reason the heaps are laid open to the air from time to 
time, and spread abroad. This operation is repeated till no 
more heat is perceived in the heaps; and the tobacco is then 
stowed in casks for exportation. Long. Jamaica, 3. p. 719. 
In Persia the seed of the Shiraz tobacco is sown in December, 
in a dark soil slightly manured ; and to protect the seeds, the 
ground is covered with bushes, which are removed when the 
plants are 3 or 4 inches high ; and during this period the plants 
are watered every 4 or 5 days, if the weather is dry. "They are 
afterwards transplanted into a well moistened soil, on the tops 
of ridges made for them. As soon as the flowers appear, the 
buds are pinched off. After this operation the irrigation is con- 
tinued, and the leaves increase in size and thickness till August 
or September, when each plant is cut close to the root, and 
again stuck firmly into the ground. At this season dews fall at 
night; and while exposed to these, the colour of the leaves 
change from green to the desired yellow colour; during this 
stage no water is given, and when they are sufficiently yellow, 
the plants are taken from the earth early in the morning ; and 
while they are yet wet with the dew, and heaped on each other 
in a shed, the walls of which are made with bushes, where they 
are freely exposed to the wind,—while there, and in 3 or 4 
days, those leaves which were still green, become of the desired 
pale yellow colour. The stalks and centre of each leaf are now 
removed and thrown away. ‘The leaves are again heaped toge- 
ther in the drying-house for 3 or 4 days more, when they are in 
a fit state for packing. For this purpose the leaves are care- 
fully spread on each other, and formed into a sort of cake, 4-5 
feet in circumference, and 3-4 inches thick, great care being 
taken not to injure the leaves : ‘these cakes are finally packed in 
bags. The leaf of the Shiraz tobacco is valued for being thick, 
tough, and of a uniform yellow colour. 
In the manufacture of tobacco, the leaves are first cleansed 
from any earth, dirt, or decayed parts; next they are gently 
moistened with salt and water, or water in which salt along with 
other ingredients has been dissolved, according to the taste of 
the fabricator. This liquor is called tobacco sauce. The next 
operation is to remove the midrib of the leaf; then the leaves 
are mixed together, in order to render the quality of whatever 
may be the final application equal. It is then cut into small shreds 
for smoking, by a machine like a straw-cutter, or formed into small 
cords for chewing, or dried and ground for numerous varieties of 
snuffs. The three principal sorts of snuffs are called Rappees, 
Scotch or Spanish, and Thirds. The first is only granulated, the 
XVI. Nicorrana. 463 
second is reduced to a very fine powder, and the third is the 
siftings of the second sort. The large Havannah cigars are pro- 
bably made from the leaves of N. macrophilla, or Oronoko to- 
bacco; the smaller, or Queen's, are said to be made from those 
of N. repánda. The Indians ofthe rocky mountains of North A me- 
rica use the leaves of N. quadriválvis and N. nàna, and the In- 
dians on the banks of the Columbia use those of N. multiválvis. 
N. rústica is the tobacco of Salonica, and probably also that of 
Latakkia, which is so much esteemed. Manilla has long been 
celebrated for its tobacco. Niebuhr describes it as very fine. 
Many smokers prefer Manilla cheroots to any other. The next 
tobacco which has obtained reputation in England is that of Darab- 
Jird in Fars, (Shiraz,) N. Pérsica. Still farther north, the tobacco 
commonly denominated Turkish, the produce of N. rústica, and 
grown on the coasts of the Mediterranean, is highly valued in 
India. There is an excellent kind of tobacco called Arracan, or 
Martaban. Dr. Ainslie states, that the finest tobacco in India, 
and perhaps in the world, is grown near the village of Wooda- 
num, in the northern circars, in some of those low sandy islands 
formed at the mouth of the river Krishna (from which is made 
the famous Masulipatam snuff) ; also in the Delta of Godavery, 
where the soil is particularly rich and fertile. The Chunar and 
Bhilsa tobaccos are also celebrated in India. 
The active constituents of tobacco are supposed to be an 
essential oil; for by long boiling, the decoction and extract of 
tobacco become inert, and by distillation an oil is obtained from 
it so active, that small animals are almost instantly killed when 
wounded by a needle dipped in it. Vauquelin has analysed 
tobacco, both in its fresh and prepared state. The expressed 
juice is manifestly acid, and contains a great quantity of albumi- 
nous matter, supermalate of lime, acetic acid, nitrate and mu- 
riate of potass, muriate of ammonia, and a red matter soluble 
in alcohol, and an acrid principle called narcotin, which is also’ 
soluble in alcohol and water.  Narcotin is obtained in a state 
nearest to purity in the distilled water of the infusion of the dry, 
or of the expressed juice of the fresh plant. 
Tobacco is capable of producing deleterious effects on the 
living body, whether taken into the stomach in substance or 
solution, or into the lungs in the form of smoke, or applied to 
abraded surfaces. The system, however, becomes easily habi- 
tuated to the action of tobacco ; and many people use very large 
quantities of it in several ways as a luxury, without experiencing 
any other bad effect than what arises from their being unable to 
relinquish it after the habit is confirmed. In medicine it is ex- 
hibited in various forms ; when chewed, it causes an increased 
flow of saliva, and sometimes relieves the toothache; and re- 
duced to powder, it proves an excellent errhine and sternutatory 
when snuffed up the nostrils. An infusion of it in water and 
wine, in small doses, so as to have little effect on the stomach, 
proves powerfully diuretic, and is employed with great success 
in dropsy and dysuria. The infusion is also applied externally 
for the cure of psora, tinea, and other cutaneous diseases. It 
is employed both in infusion and smoke, in the form of 
clysters in cases of obstinate constipation. An infusion of 
the leaves forms a powerful lotion for obstinate ulcers. The 
oil applied to a wound is said by Redi to be as fatal as the 
poison of a viper. The decoction, powder, and smoke of 
tobacco are used in gardening to destroy insects, and in agricul- 
ture for the same purpose, and to cure cutaneous eruptions in 
domestic animals. 
Var. a, attenuatum (Schrank, in Hoppe's bot. zeit. 1807. p. 
260.) flowers attenuated; leaves lanceolate, acute, subdecur- 
rent, attenuated at the base: lower ones large. ©.H. Flow- 
ers red, 
Var. B, macrophijllum (Schrank, 1. c.) corollas obtuse, flatly 
mucronate at the angles; petioles short, winged, at length 
