CIGAR TRADE 



NICOTIANA 



Tin !- 



about that time also sent from India to England. In 1833 was published 

 Buchanan-Hamilton's a. count of Dinajpur (which was possibly written 

 about 1809 to 1811). He speaks of tobacco cultivation much as if it had 

 been even then a well-known crop (see p. 805). It was apparently not 

 ft-nui-ntrtl at all simply dried leaf. 



Exports. By 1866-7 the EXPORTS of tobacco from India were valued 

 at Rs. 5,61,836, of which only Rs. 7,088 worth were consigned to tin- 

 United Kingdom. But there is no mention of cigars in these early trade 

 returns ; and what is more curious still, Bombay was by far the mo- 

 portant source of the Indian supply. Ten years later (1876-7) the export* 

 were rendered under three headings : Unmanufactured Tobacco, 

 10,508,720 lb., valued at Rs. 7,51,375 ; Cigars, 190,136 lb., valued at 

 Rs. 1,17,445 ; and Other Manufactured Tobaccoes, 205,033 lb., valued at 

 Rs. 22,578. Ten years still later (1886-7) the exports were : Unmanu- 

 factured, 9,868,834 lb., valued at Rs. 9,57,156 ; Cigars, 273,209 lb., valued 

 at Rs. 2,11,391 ; and Other Sorts, 193,996 lb., valued at Rs. 27,036. Again, 

 ten years still later (1896-7), the exports were : Unmanufactured 

 11,257,582 lb., valued at Rs. 11,38,204; Cigars, 557,816 lb., valued at 

 Rs. 6,37,812 ; and Other Sorts, 273,872 lb., valued at Rs. 37,318. For tin- 

 most recent years (taking values only) the following were the exports : 



The cheap tobaccoes returned under " Other Sorts " are Native pre- 

 parations consigned to the Maldives, the Straits, Ceylon and Arabia. 

 Perhaps the most remarkable feature of the foreign traffic is the growth of 

 the supply of cigars. The exports of this class expanded from a valuation 

 of Rs. 1,17,445 in 1876-7 (when first separately returned) to Rs. 16,40,427 

 in 1901-2, and Rs. 9,97,489 in 1906-7. And it is significant that, in what 

 might be called normal years, these exports go mainly to the United 

 Kingdom and the Straits Settlements. The years 1901-2 and 1902-3 

 were abnormal, since in these years very large consignments were made to 

 Cape Colony and Natal doubtless to meet the demands of the British 

 soldiers. Further, it may be added that the bulk of the cigars exported 

 from India go from Madras and Burma. 



Of the unmanufactured tobacco, Bombay exports by far the largest 

 quantity (on an average about one-half the total). And what is 

 remarkable, the receiving countries are Aden, the Straits Settlements, 

 China (Hongkong) and Holland, the last-mentioned having for some 

 time steadily increased its demands for the very cheapest of the Indian 

 unmanufactured tobaccoes. No Indian unmanufactured tobacco would 

 appear to go to the United Kingdom. Bengal, the chief producing pro- 

 vince, exports to foreign countries, as a rule, only about half the quantity 

 supplied by Bombay. But the explanation of this circumstance is perhaps 

 to be had in the fact that by the coastwise traffic Bengal is shown to 

 export to Burma unmanufactured tobacco (in 1905-6) to the value of 

 Rs. 27,68,296. The importance of Burma to the Ind : an grower is made 



809 



Exports. 



Cigar Traffic. 



I- :. i * 



Btogal Rxporta. 



