TOBACCO. 57 



Doniinr^o for tlie tube or pipe tlirougli wliicli tlie smoke was 

 i)ilialed. It is almost imjiossible to make tlio soil too rich for 

 this most (■xhaustiiig crop ; and it lias l)C't'ii predicted that (lie 

 vallov of the Connecticut v,ill be blasted by it, and become as 

 barren as tho old Tobacco fields of Viri^inia and IMarvland. Its 

 cultivation and prepai-ation for niai-ket, which include sowing, 

 transplanting, worming, priming, topping, suckering, cutting, 

 housing, di-ying, strijiping, handing, conditioning, bulking, and 

 ])r('ssing, r(Hpiiie the closest attention and the most laborious 

 work. 



Amei'ica expoi-ts lai'g(> (piantitics of Tobacco to (ireat Ib'itain, 

 (Germany, West Indies, South Ameiica, iU'lgium, irolhind, 

 Poitugal, the Medit^'rrancan, Africa, Australia, China, and 

 hiilia. It is also largely jiroduccd in scvcM'al of these countries. 

 The far-famed Shira/ Tobacco, a nati\(( of Pei'sia, is now being 

 rai.sed along the valley of the ,lordan. and grows hixuriant 

 n[)on the fertile hills of l.atakia — the ancient l.aodicca — from 

 which place it is exteiisively exported to vaiious parts of 

 tlie Levant, I'^ngland, and Fi'ance. 



The annual expenditure oji Tobacco in tlu^ United States is 

 reckoned at J^l'")!), 500,000. The revenue ch'rivcd fioia its im- 

 l)ortation into(!reat Ih-itain in ISSt! amounted to l'(),2!)S,'.)!;0 

 sterling. The ([uantity smuggled into tlie kingdom, it is said, 

 during the same time would, if legitimately handled, have 

 increased t'le revenue to fully !?()0,000,000. 



Startling sums are swallowed \\\) in the yawning gulf of this 

 injurious luxury. The city of New York is accredited with 

 pulling away i^L'r),00() daily in cigar and cigarette smoke alone. 

 Vet this slides into insignificance compared with some European 

 cities. Handiui'g, it is believed, takes the lead iiniong the 

 cities of civili;^ation for its consumi)tion of Tobacco. This is 

 not sti'ange when we consider that from the time (about ITi'O) 

 when Frederick William 1. started hi ■• Tobacco club until 

 recently, every school boy in Cei'manv has been early tau<dit to 

 love Tobacco, and to persist in its use till his dying day. 



