356 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



greater, and the area of its cultivation gradually extended 

 up the river and into the adjacent valle3^s, so that in 1850 

 there was grown in New England 1,414,920 pounds, of 

 which Massachusetts raised only 138,246 pounds and Con- 

 necticut 1,276,624. 



Stimulated by l)etter prices, the growth increased so that 

 the product in Xew England in 1860 was 9,264,862 pounds, 

 of which Massachusetts grew 3,233,198; in 1870, 15,869,- 

 999 pounds, of which Massachusetts grew 7,312,385 ; in 

 1880, 19,717,401 pounds, of which Massachusetts grew 

 5,369,439; in 1890, 11,826,883 pounds, of which Massa- 

 chusetts grew 2,794,848. 



Varieties. 



There are about one hundred and twenty-five varieties of 

 tobacco OTown in the United States. Until about 1875 

 nearly all tobacco grown in New England was called Con- 

 necticut Seed as a general name, but often designated as 

 Broad Leaf, Long Leaf, Willson's, and Williams' or Barber's, 

 and many others, all of them noted for fineness of texture 

 and color and especially adapted to wrap a good cigar. 



The first experiment of which I can learn in growing 

 Havana Seed for wrappers in New England was in 1856, 

 when Hon. Thomas Kneil of Westfield procured some Ha- 

 vana seed, and Mr. Daniel Bush of the same town grew the 

 tobacco for the firm of T. & J. Kneil, and continued to 

 grow it for them as long as they were in business, receiving 

 from them 1)y agreement as much per acre as he obtained by 

 o-rowino- Connecticut Seed Leaf. This seed was very care- 

 fully guarded by the grower and for about ten years only 

 two growers had the improved seed. This I believe to be 

 the commencement of the growth of this variety, and from 

 this seed was distributed by the writer into Connecticut and 

 up the valley. 



Since about 1875 new seed has often been introduced 

 from Cuba, which after a growth of a few years has been 

 found to produce a leaf of such fine texture and flavor as to 

 supersede every other variety, except in a very limited sec- 

 tion in Connecticut. This Havana Seed, as it is called, has 

 a smaller and thinner leaf, with small veins and of very even 



