Tobacco 



217 



attention was given to it until 1828, when tobacco-growing was placed upon a firm footing. 

 The first real extension of the industry, however, was westwards, in the" States of Kentucky 

 and Tennessee. By 1875 it had assumed considerable proportions in the northern parts of 

 the former State, and in 1810 large-areas were under tobacco in all parts of both States, 

 the produce being sent to New Orleans for shipment. 



In 1838 cigar tobacco was first grown in Ohio from seed obtained from Connecticut, where 

 the industry had already attained considerable proportions. Seven years later theindustry was 

 started in New York State, and in ten years the yield had amounted to more than half-a- 

 tnillion pounds. The history of the tobacco industry in Florida is very interesting, and affords 

 an excellent example of a successful attempt on the part of agriculturists to meet the altered 

 requirements of the market. The cultivation of tobacco was commenced in the earlier years qf 

 the nineteenth century, and the leaf produced, known as " Old Florida," was of such fine quality 

 as to be eagerly sought after as a wrapper for cigars. The industry thrived until the Civil War, 

 when the cultivation had perforce to be abandoned, but when the country had settled down a 

 few farmers continued to grow tobacco in a very small way, so small that' in 1880 the State had 

 but 90 acres under the crop. The industry again revived in 1889, and the planters naturally 

 turned to their famous " Old. Flori da." But the demand of the market had changed, and' 

 cigar-makers now requiredto baccolTresembling the Cuban varieties for the " fillers " of their 

 products and leaf of the Sumatra type for the wrappers. In 1884-5 some of the planters had 

 obtained seed from Cuba and the tobacco grown from the seed was sent to the dealers at 

 New York, who made it into cigars. The quality of the cigars was so satisfactory that experts 

 were at once sent to Florida to advise as to the possibility of extending the cultivation of 

 Cuban tobacco, and their reports were so favourable, that large areas were at once planted 

 in Gadsden County, an example which was quickly followed in all parts of the State. It was 

 not long before serious attempts were* also made to produce the Sumatra wrapper leaf, and 

 seeds were imported from the East. The methods of cultivation and curing adopted in Sumatra 

 were carefully studied, and especially good results have been obtained by growing the plants 

 under artificial shade. For the past 

 twenty years Florida has been steadily 

 regaining her reputation as a producer 

 of first-class tobaccos, and at the present 

 day cigars manufactured from Florida- 

 grown Cuban and Sumatran leaf are 

 among the best obtainable. 



In the early years of the tobacco 

 trade the varieties in almost universal 

 demand were the dark export types of 

 Virginian tobaccos, and the light pipe 

 types of Maryland leaf, and at the 

 beginning of last century these were 

 practically the only tobaccos cultivated 

 by the American colonists. About 1820, 

 however, a considerable demand arose 

 for stronger coloured tobaccos, and to 

 meet it artificial heat was employed in 

 the curing processes. The present de- 

 mand for light yellow tobacco first arose 

 during the latter half of the century, 

 probably the first crop of lemon-yellow 

 leaf being raised in North Carolina 

 in 1852. The well-known " Mahogany A tobacco-cutting machine 



