PKODUCTION AND COMMERCE. 203 



Congress in its present consideration of our tariff when 

 the article of ' leaf-tobacco ' is reached. 



" Thus I would report that up to the present the produc- 

 tion of the article has increased from year to year without 

 any intermission from the beginning of its cultivation in 

 Sumatra in 1865, when it amounted to only 189 bales. 



" In this connection I would respectfully refer and call 

 attention to my report on ' The tobacco trade of the 

 Netherlands in 1881,' dated March 7, 1882, and printed 

 in the volume of monthly consular commercial reports 

 No. 18, of April last, as it contains a statement showing 

 the crops of Sumatra tobacco each year from 1865 to 1880, 

 inclusive, and the average prices realized from its sale. 



"The crop of 1881 is represented to have footed up 

 82,356 bales, valued (approximately) at 5,791,880 dol., 

 being an increase over the crop of the previous year 

 (1880) of 17,433 bales as to quantity, and of 1,260,000 dol. 

 as to the approximate value thereof. 



" From the foregoing it will be seen that about one-ninth 

 of the whole crop of 1881 has been exported to the 

 United States. 



" The entire crop, excepting about 1700 bales remaining 

 in the hands of the original importers or consignees here, 

 on December 31, 1882, was disposed of at an advance of 

 about 1 cent. United States currency, in the average price 

 as compared with that realized in 1881 for the crop of 

 1880 ; or, in other words, the total crop of 1880 brought 

 on the average about 45| cents, whereas the crop of 1881 

 averaged about 461 cents. United States currency, per 

 half-kilogram. 



" This refers to the prices originally obtained at the 



