216 



The World's Commercial Products 



STRIPPING THE LEAF 



tobacco is considerably over a million tons, with a value of 

 The following table will show at a glance the principal pr 

 tobacco grown : — 

 Country. 



United States 



India . . (approxir 



Cuba 



Russia 



Sumatra, Java, etc. 



Germany 



Brazil 



Japan 



Hungary 



In addition to the abov 

 tobacco are, raised in Italy, Roumania, Canada, Greece, 

 Belgium, Ecuador, Algiers, Egypt, and in several of 

 the ^British colonies, notably Jamaica, British Central 

 Africa, Rhodesia, Transvaal, and Uganda. 



^CULTIVATION IN THE UNITED 

 STATES. 



Although tobacco had long been grown by .the 

 aborigines of the American continent, it was not 

 until. 1610 that the first European plantation was laid 

 out near Jamestown, in Virginia. The cultivation 

 was taken up with energy by the colonists, and 

 before long tobacco was being grown in several states, 

 notably in Maryland and Virginia ; and for more 

 than two centuries the industry was closely bound 

 up with the social and political development of the 

 States concerned: . In Maryland tobacco was actually 

 made legal tender in 1732, at the rate of one penny 

 r)ef pound, for all debts, including the salaries of 

 State officials and clergymen. The industry was very 

 early started in Pennsylvania, but comparatively little 



THE WORLD'S 



PRODUCTION OF 



TOBACCO 



The five most important 

 tobacco-producing countries, 

 in order of their importance, 

 are the United States, India, 

 Cuba, Russia, and the Dutch 

 colonies in the East, more 

 especially Sumatra. 



Nearly seven-ninths of the 

 world's total tobacco is raised 

 in these countries. Taking an 

 average of the last few years, 

 the total annual production of 

 nearly £40,000,000 sterling! 

 oducers and the value of the 



CUTTING TURKISH TOBACCO BY HAND 



