Book VI. 



TOBACCO. 



937 



03 



6130. The annual species of tobacco, like the annual species of almost all dicotyledonous 

 plants, may be grown in every country and climate ; because every country has a sum- 

 mer, and that is the season of life for annual 

 plants. In hot, dry, and short summers, like 

 those of the north of Russia and Sweden, to- 

 bacco plants will not attain a large size, but the 

 tobacco produced will be of delicate quality 

 and good flavour: in long, moist, and not 

 very warm summers, such as those of Ireland, 

 the plants will attain a very large size, per- 

 haps as much so as in Virginia, but the to- 

 bacco produced will not have that superior 

 flavour, which can only be given by abundance 

 of clear sunshine, and free dry air. By a skilful 

 manufacture, and probably by mixing the to- 

 bacco of cold countries with that of hot coun- 

 tries, by using different species, and perhaps by 

 selecting particular varieties of the Virginian 

 species, the defects in flavour arising from cli- 

 mate may, it is likely, be greatly remedied. 



6131. Species and varieties. The species almost every 

 where cultivated in America is the N. Tabacum 

 {fig. 80S.), or Virginian tobacco, of which there is a 

 variety or sub-species known as N. macrophylla, but 

 of which we have never seen any plants. N. rustica 

 (fig. 809.), the common green tobacco [fuusse tabac of the French, and Bauern Tubac of the Germans), 

 4. ;, o -. is very generally cultivated almost to the exclusion of the 



"* ^"^ other species in the north of Germany, Russia, and Sweden, 



where almost every cottager grows his own tobacco for 

 smoking. It also seems to be the principal sort grown in 

 Ireland. There is a variety of it cultivated in Wexford, 

 erroneously denominated Oronooko, and another commonly 

 called negro-head. Both are very hardy and very pro- 

 ductive, but the produce is not of a very good flavour. 

 There are other species grown in America; the best Ha- 

 vannah cigars are said to be made from the leaves of N. re- 

 panda (yi'^.SlO. a), a species introduced to this country from 

 Havannah so late as 1823. The Indians of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains of North America are said to prepare their tobacco 

 from N. quadrivalvis {fig. 810. b), introduced in 1811, and 

 N. m^na [fig. 810. c) introduced in 1823. These species are all 

 annuals, and the last requires the protection of a green-house 

 to make it ripen its seeds. There are several very distinct 

 varieties, if not species, cultivated in the Caraccas, of which 

 some account by Mr. Fanning, proprietor of the Botanic 

 Garden of the Caraccas, will be found in the Gardener's 

 Magazine, vol. vi. p. 327. There are also some other annual 

 species, and some species of the genus Petvinw which 

 is nearly allied to the Nicotidna, the leaves of which 

 might be manufactured into very good tobacco. There 

 can be little doubt that the N. Tabacum, the seeds of 

 which may be purchased in every seed-shop, is alone de- 

 serving the attention of the British cultivator, as a first 

 experiment. 



6132. Soil. In a strict sense, the native soil of the tobacco is unknown in this 

 country ; by which we mean the primitive earths or rocks to which it belongs. We 

 are inclined to attribute it to alluvium and sand-stone rather than to clay or lime. In 



