9 



alngiiod ; and among' Ihoni, not tlic least singular waa 

 the ' Coiinter]>laste' of the pedantic King James I, To- 

 bacco was cultivated in New Nethcfland as early as 

 1G4(), when it sold for 40 cents per pound. It was intro- 

 duced into Louisiana by the ^Company of tlie West/ in 

 1718. Some time previous to the war of Independence, 

 the culture of tobacco had spread into Maryland, Carolina, 

 Georgia, and Louisiana, from which nearly all Europe was 

 supplied ; but, at present, most of the sovereigns of the 

 Old World derive a considerable part of their revenue 

 from the cultivation of this plant. The amount of to- 

 bacco exported from Virginia ia 1622, was 60,000 

 pounds ; in 1639, 120,000 pounds ; in 1758, 70,000 hogs- 

 heads." — Patent Office Report. 



The hogsheads, at that time, were about 600 pounds. 

 Larger hogsheads and closer packing have since been 

 in use ; the quantity per hogshead has gradually in- 

 creased, and now often reaches 1,800 pounds, averaging 

 probably as high as 1,800. 



It appears, from official documents, that the yearly ex- 

 ports of tobacco for ten years, ending with 1709, aver- 

 aged 28,868,666 lbs. From 1744 to 1772 the average 

 exports were 40,000,000 lbs. During the four years pre- 

 ceding the Revolutionary war the exportations were as 

 follows : 



1772 97,799,263 



1773 100,472,007 



1774 97,397,252 



1775 101,828,617 



Total the four years 397,497,139 



Average for same time 99,374,785 



