CHAPTER VIII 



TOBACCO, OPIUM, HEMP 



Tobacco. The tobacco plant (Nicotiana Tabacum and 

 other species), a native of warmer America, is now one of the 

 most widely cultivated plants in the world, for, being only of 

 short duration, it can be grown in the summer season of the 

 temperate zones, and is as a matter of fact very largely culti- 

 vated in the eastern United States, Egypt, Persia, etc. The 

 most prosperous tobacco-growing countries are however prob- 

 ably Sumatra and Cuba, while large quantities are also grown 

 in Borneo, Java, the Philippines, Brazil, South India, Ceylon, 

 and other places. Tobaccos for cigars, for pipe-smoking, for 

 cigarettes, and for chewing, are grown in different localities, 

 some suiting one kind better, some another. 



The custom of smoking was first noticed by Columbus, and 

 was introduced into Spain by the early explorers. A hundred 

 years later it was brought to England by Sir Walter Raleigh, 

 and, though at first it excited alarm, it was not long before the 

 habit spread. The great plague gave a considerable impetus to 

 smoking, smokers being supposed to be immune. After this 

 began the period of repression, when great efforts were made to 

 put down the habit by penal laws and severe punishments, in 

 Russia people being even knouted for the offence of smoking. 

 But all was in vain, and the habit continually spread, until now 

 it is almost universal. 



Tobacco is grown from seed, and planted out from nurseries 

 upon rich, light soils, in which there must be plenty of lime, 

 potash and decaying organic matter. In Sumatra the custom 

 at one time was to fell fresh forest for each crop, but now it is 

 found that 8 10 years lying fallow will render the ground 



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