PEODUCTION AND COMMERCE. 



171 



price, at a much higher profit than can be obtained by- 

 sending cured leaf to England. 



While Indian cured leaf can find a sale in the English 

 market at prices which will enable it to compete there 

 with American cured leaf, Indian manufactured leaf is 

 proved to compete successfully with American manu- 

 factured leaf in India itself, with a fair prospect of suc- 

 cess in a similar competition in the colonies. It may be 

 stated in general terms that id. a lb. for cured leaf in 

 England, and 6-10 annas for manufactured leaf in India, 

 will secure sufficient or even handsome profits. The 

 opening for profits will perhaps be better understood if 

 it is explained that Id. a, lb. represents an asset of about 

 5Z. an acre. The one great advantage which India has 

 over America is cheap labour. It is now proved that the 

 leaf is, for all practical purposes, as good as the American 

 leaf, and there is hardly any doubt that America cannot 

 afibrd to send home leaf at the price at which India can 

 sell. 



The exports of tobacco from British India during the 

 years 1874-5 to 1878-9 have been as follows : — 



Unmanufac- 

 tured 



Manufactuied, 



(]h. 

 iNo. 



33,41 l,50i 



425,040 

 2,999,940 



22,861,711 

 384,909 



10,508,720 

 395,169 



10,594,604 

 507,629 



13,279,158 

 444,502 



The following letter from the manager of the Poosah 

 tobacco farms, Tirhoot, describes the system of growing 

 and curing now adopted in India. 



