76 TOBACCO-GROWING IN NEW YORK AND LOUISIANA. 



the early Dutch settlers and in 1638 "had become a staple 

 production." In 1639 " from Virginia numbers of persons 

 whose terms of service had expired, were attracted to Man- 

 hattan, where they introduced improved modes of cultivating 

 tobacco." Yan Twiller was himself a grower of the plant 

 and had his tobacco farm at Greenwich. Soon after its 

 cultivation began it was subjected to Excise ; and regulations 

 were published to check the abuses which injured "the high 

 name " it had gained in foreign countries. * 



Wailes says of the early cultivation of tobacco in 

 Mississippi : 



" When the country came under the dominion of Spain, a 

 market was opened in New Orleans ; a trade in tobacco was 

 established, and a fixed and remunerating price was paid for 

 it, delivered at the king's warehouses. Tobacco thus became 

 the first marketable staple production of Missisippi." f 



An English writer has the following account of the culture 

 of tobacco in Louisiana by the French : 



"Tobacco is another plant indigenous to this part of 

 America; the French colonists cultivated it- with such success 

 that had they received any encouragement from their 

 government they might soon have rivalled Virginia and 

 Maryland; but instead of this they were taxed heavily for 

 cultivating it, by duties laid on the trade; what they pro- 

 duced was of so excellent a quality, as to sell some at five 

 shillings a pound. There is one advantage in this culture 

 here which ought not to be forgotten ; in Louisiana the 

 French planters after the tobacco is cut, weeded and cleaned 

 the ground on which it grew the roots, push forth fresh 

 shoots, which are managed in the same manner as the first 

 crop. By this means a second crop is made on the samo 

 ground, and sometimes a third. These seconds indeed, as 

 they are called, do not usually grow so high as the first plant, 

 but notwithstanding they make very good tobacco." 



During the reign of the Stuarts, the plant was first culti- 

 vated in New England but only in small quantities J and 



Jacob vnn Churlornnd David Provoost w-^rc appointed Inspectors of the new staple 

 tobacco. "Tn lGij2tlic commonalty ><t Manhattan wa informed that, to show their good 

 intentions, the Amsterdam directors hail determined to tiiki-offthe export duty of tobacco."*' 



tin 1783 Vr. Wm. Dunliar writes: "Tin: soil of Katclnz H particularly favorable for 

 tobacco nnd there nru overseers there, who will almost engage to produce you between two 

 and three hogsheads to the hand besides provisions.'' 



t " Every farmer plants u quantity of tobnrro near bis house in proportion to the size of 

 his family. It is likewise very neee*8ary that they should plant tobacco, because It is i> 

 universally iinoked by the common people/' Kalm's travels in North America, 1712. 



