CHAPTER XXVI 



TOBACCO 



It is a great mortification to the vanity of man that his utmost art and in- 

 dustry can never equal the meanest of nature's productions either for beauty 

 or value. HUME. 



THREE of the eight leading field crops of the United States 

 are natives of the New World corn stands first in the list, Irish 

 potatoes sixth, and tobacco eighth. The annual crop of raw 

 tobacco is valued at about seventy-five million dollars. The 

 internal revenue on manufactured tobacco, including cigars and 

 cigarettes, is more than double this amount, but this includes the 

 tax on imported tobacco. 



In the early Colonial days of Virginia and Maryland this was 

 an important article of commerce. It was used in place of 

 money in exchange for both foreign and domestic articles. It 

 was used by the North American Indians for smoking and in 

 South America as snuff and for chewing. Its introduction into 

 countries of the Old World for all these purposes was very rapid. 

 The stems are used in making insecticides and as fertilizers. 



Its use by human beings depends upon the presence of a seda- 

 tive principle, chiefly the narcotic alkaloid nicotine, which has a 

 quieting effect upon the nerves. In this class of sedative plants 

 may be mentioned the opium poppy, used chiefly for smoking, 

 and the betel-nut, of the palm family, used for chewing. Although 

 nicotine is a poison, the tobacco leaves containing the largest 

 percentage of it are considered the best. This is partly due to 

 the fact that such leaves are also the largest and firmest. 



Kentucky is now the leading state in the growth of tobacco, 

 producing over one-third of the American crop. Other important 

 tobacco states are North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, Wisconsin, 

 Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Maryland. 



Soils for Tobacco. There are several types of tobacco, each 

 to be used for a different purpose, as for wrappers, for binders, for 

 fillers, for chewing, for pipe smoking, for export, etc. The quality 

 of the tobacco grown for any special purpose is greatly influenced 

 by the soil as well as by the weather and general climatic conditions. 

 As the market price depends very largely upon the odor and 

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