294 THE BOOK OF USEFUL PLANTS 



roots. When the top is about to blossom it is 

 removed, to throw the energies of the plant into 

 leaf-making. Side shoots are removed as they 

 appear, for the same reason. When the leaves 

 are sticky, and show yellow when held before the 

 sun, they are ready to harvest. They break easily 

 ^hen bent. 



Harvesting methods differ, but the operations 

 include cutting, drying, sweating, and packing the 

 leaves. Kentucky harvests a tremendous crop, 

 the biggest of all the tobacco states. Wisconsin 

 and Massachusetts are the northernmost tobacco 

 states. Florida grows special grades of fine, to- 

 bacco. So does Connecticut. Louisiana grows a 

 famous kind. 



The great tobacco producing countries of 

 Europe are Germany, Russia, and Hungary. 

 India, Samatra and Java, Turkey, Japan and 

 China are the Asiatic countries. Cuba and Porto 

 Rico, Mexico and Argentina are the tropical 

 American tobacco regions, and Argentina and 

 Brazil are great tobacco countries in the South 

 Temperate Zone. The industry is growing in 

 Africa and the Philippines. A million tons are 

 sent to market yearly from all the plantations of 

 the world. 



The quieting of nerves, and a general feeling of 



