fore 1900 the commercial pattern of tobacco consump- 

 tion seemed fairly well fixed. Some of the wiser men in 

 the industry, aware of cycles in taste and responsive to 

 a slowly growing interest in cigarettes, had added that 

 new line to their other products. For the most part, 

 however, manufacturers felt that nothing would change. 

 There could be only more tobacco chewers, pipe and 

 cigar smokers. 



Production of Burley tobacco had developed in sev- 

 eral states other than Kentucky and Ohio. The type was 

 vying with the Bright tobacco of North Carolina and 

 Virginia in popularity. Enthusiastic supporters were ex- 

 pressing their opinions in print. A writer of the 1920's, 

 a practical tobacco man, was repeating a general opinion 

 of late IQtli century Kentuckians when he referred to 

 Burley as "probably the most famous and most useful 

 type of tobacco grown anywhere in the world." 



An indication of what Burley production meant to 

 Kentuckians in the late 19th century appeared in an 

 article written by Thomas G. Watkins, commercial editor 

 of the Louisville Courier-Journal. He said, in part: 



Burley is one of the most profitable crops that 

 can he grown and were it not for the peculiar 

 limitations of the industry it would make all 

 the land of Kentucky among the most valu- 

 able tillable ground of the globe . . . 

 The chief field for its production is in the fa- 

 mous Blue Grass region. Here it is grown of 

 the finest quality and on the largest scale. It has 

 made up to the fortunate planters great depre- 

 ciation in the value of horses and cattle, whose 

 breeding was such a feature in the agricultural 

 life of the State. It can almost he said it has 

 saved the Blue Grass farmers from nun. Their 

 crops are spread over hundreds of acres and 



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