LETTER OF TRANSMTTTAL. 



DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, 



CENSUS OFFICE, 



Washington, D. 0., October 15, 1881. 

 Hon. FRANCIS A. WALKER, 



Superintendent of Census. 



SIR : I have the honor to submit my report on the culture and curing of tobacco in the United States, together 

 with special reports upon this industry in Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, 

 Missouri, the New England states, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West 

 Virginia, and Wisconsin. 



The product of Florida and Louisiana, taken together, amounts to only 77,136 pounds, a very insignificant 

 fraction of the total crop of the Union for 1879. 



It is believed that the soil and the climate of Florida are more especially adapted to the growing of tobacco, 

 with the fragrance and texture of Cuba tobacco, than those of any other part of the United States. Enough has 

 been done in this state to show that with proper selection of varieties aud intelligent culture and management a 

 product of most excellent quality, closely approximating that of Cuba, can be grown upon a large extent of its 

 territory. 



The Perique of Louisiana is unlike any other tobacco in the world, in the peculiar manner of curing and handling 

 and in flavor, but the product is small, and cannot probably be much increased in quantity. 



These considerations have made it advisable to include the two states above named in the list of those upon 

 which special reports are made. 



To obtain the information necessary, a schedule, prepared in this office, embracing fifty-two distinct questions, was 

 sent to growers of tobacco, and to such other persons as were presumed to possess knowledge on the subject, in 

 every county of the tobacco-growing sections. Subsequently, a second and more elaborate series of questions was 

 incorporated in a supplemental schedule, and distributed with especial care to persons who had positive knowledge 

 of the subject-matter. This, supplemental schedule embraced one hundred and seven distinct questions, the object 

 of which was to elicit, accurate and trustworthy information about all the details of the industry, from the sowing 

 of the seed until the product passes into the hands of the merchant or manufacturer. It was found necessary to 

 prepare a third series of questions, ten in number, which were submitted to correspondents who had already exhibited 

 a desire to aid in the labor of investigation. 



An extended correspondence was required to clear up obscurities and to compare and verify facts. Your 

 special agent made personal examination of numerous districts of territory in which the plant is grown, obtaining 

 in this way a more accurate knowledge of many important details than could possibly be derived from mere 

 correspondence. 



The investigation in its scope and character was unprecedented. Tobacco planters, of life-long experience, 

 when asked to make answer as to certain details of the industry, required conference with others to reply 

 intelligently. The examination of farm records, and not unfrequently laborious journeys of many miles, were 

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