112 The Soverane Herbe 



In 1830, however, the culture was deemed to be 

 reaching too large proportions, a thousand acres then 

 being planted with tobacco, and its growth was pro- 

 hibited. 



Tobacco cannot now be grown for manufacturing 

 purposes in any part of the United Kingdom. The 

 climate is not unsuitable for tobacco culture, for 

 colder and damper Holland grows tobacco both for 

 home consumption and export, while France and 

 Germany also supply themselves with tobacco. 

 Southern Ireland, Cornwall and Devon are said to be 

 especially suitable for the cultivation of tobacco. In 

 1886 permission was obtained from the Inland 

 Revenue Department to experiment with the growth 

 of tobacco in Kent. The result was fairly successful, 

 it being proved that ;^5 per acre could be obtained. 

 Last year experiments were made with fair success 

 in Ireland. The proposal, however, to cultivate 

 tobacco in earnest, under the supervision of the 

 Revenue officers, has met with little approval, as is 

 natural, considering the extent to which the country 

 relies upon the tobacco import duty for its revenue, 

 nearly one-tenth of the Exchequer receipts being from 

 this source. When the question of permitting the 

 growth of tobacco in Ireland was raised in the House 

 of Commons in 1881, Mr. Gladstone said : 'I regard 

 any prohibition of the growth of any agricultural 

 product at all as being very unsatisfactory, and I am 

 at all times open to any statement or suggestion 

 tending to show that if that prohibition were removed 

 we could satisfactorily levy a duty on the commodity 

 when grown at home as we levy it when imported. 



