TOBACCO AND ITS CULTURE. 159 



The writer who claims to have au eye of observation is 

 able to testify to the same fact, and rejoices that his native 

 town is able to show so large a number of acres which have 

 been reclaimed within the last few years from their state of 

 worthlessness to their present state of beauty, fertility and 

 profit. 



In closing this already too long paper, perhaps it may come 

 within my province, as connected with the cultivation of 

 tobacco in this valley, to speak of the quite recent introduc- 

 tion and alarming increase in the importation of tobacco 

 grown upon the island of Sumatra. As is well known, Suma- 

 tra is one of the East India Islands, and lying under the 

 equator ; in size the third largest on the earth. At present 

 some considerable portion of it is controlled by HoHand, 

 which has commenced the cultivation and importation to this 

 country of tobacco leaf, a leaf which, although very deficient 

 in quality, is remarkable for its fine appearance, and for beino- 

 admirably adapted for wrapping cigars. It is said that one 

 pound of it will wrap as many as three or four pounds of our 

 leaf, and that manufacturers can afford to use it at a C(;st of 

 $1.20 per pound. The present tariff is 35 cts. per pound, and 

 10 per cent., ad valorem, additional, which latter ceased Jan. 

 1, 1883. I understand that there are 40,000 bales, of 175 

 pounds each, now in Holland waiting for shipment after the 

 expiration of the time when the 10 per cent, ad valorem 

 duty ceases to be in force. That the importation is increas- 

 ing is shown by the fact that the amount brought to this 

 country in the month of August, 1882, was much greater 

 than that imported during the whole year ending June 30, 

 1880. 



The question for us to decide is, whether we are willing 

 that a foreign country shall be allowed to flood ours with 

 a product she is able to raise so cheaply with coolie labor, 

 and which may prove so disastrous to this branch of ao'ricul- 

 tural industry. We are obliged to accept the situation 

 when the producers of the western part of our own country, 

 with special rates of transportation, become our competitors 

 in our Eastern markets with the productions of their soil. 

 But shall we grant Holland the same privileges ? While many 

 of the European countries are closing their doors against the 



