TOBACCO AND ITS CULTURE. 141 



About 1840, some individuals in Whcately commenced to 

 raise tobacco. One Stephen Belden raised two crops which 

 he packed and pressed into casks which he sent to New 

 York, where it was sold for four cents per pound. Other 

 individuals, obtaining their seed from Suffiekl, Conn., 

 raised about one acre each, raising about twelve hundred 

 pounds per acre, and selling it, the wrappers for six cents, 

 and fillers for two cents. 



In the course of two or three years, others in the neigh- 

 borino- towns beofan to raise the weed. 



For several years the marketing was done by the growers 

 selecting several hands as samples, and at an appointed 

 da}' they would carry the samples and meet a man from 

 Sufiield, Conn., at "Allen's tavern" in Hadley, who would 

 buy the various crops. 



About 1848, another gentleman from the same locality 

 ran opposition to the previous buyer by riding around 

 among the growers and picking up the various crops, the 

 competition driving the prices u^) from six and two cents to 

 ten and three cents per pound. 



As we have already stated, the variety known as " Con-^ 

 / necticut Seed Leaf" has, for a long time, been the mostj 

 . popular in our valley. 



Otlier kinds have been introduced, but have not been so 

 universally popular. Some kinds have been found fault with 

 for having too large veins, or too few leaves on a plant, or 

 because of their greater liability to be injured by storms ; 

 the leaves of the plant being larger were more liable to be 

 broken off or torn, or otherwise injured in handling. 

 Within a few years, a variety of seed has been imported 

 from Cuba, and now called "Havana seed," which, after a 

 growth of five or six years in this country, has been found to 

 produce a leaf of such flavor and texture as to gain popular 

 favor quite rapidly. The writer entertains the opinion that 

 this variety possesses such qualities as to make it the most 

 desiralde to plant in this immediate section of the valley. 



So great a number of pounds to the acre is not usually 

 produced as of the "Connecticut Seed Leaf" variety, but as 

 it commands a greater price per pound, the deficiency is 

 made up. As the plants are set some considerably nearer 



