76 TOBACCO-GROWING IN NEW YORK AND LOUISIANA. 
the early Dutch settlers and in 1638 “had become a staple 
production.” In 1639 “from Virginia numbers of persons 
whose terms of service had expired, were attracted to Man- 
hattan, where they introduced improved modes of cultivating 
tobacco.” Wan Twiller was himself a grower of the plant 
and had his tobacco farm at Greenwich. Soon after its 
cultivation began it was subjected to Excise ; and regulations 
were published to check the abuses which injured “the high 
name” it had gained in foreign countries. * 
Wailes says of the early cultivation of tobacco in 
Mississippi : 
“When the country came under the dominion of Spain, a 
market was opened in New Orleans; a trade in tobacco was 
established, and a fixed and remunerating price was paid for 
it, delivered at the king’s warehouses. Tobacco thus became 
the first marketable staple production of Missisippi.” + 
An English writer has the following account of the culture 
of tobacco in Louisiana by the French: 
“Tobacco is another plant indigenous to this part of 
America; the French colonists cultivated it with such success 
that had they received any encouragement from their 
government they might soon have rivalled Virginia and 
Maryland; but instead of this they were taxed heavily for 
cultivating it, by duties laid on the trade; what they pro- 
duced was of so excellent a quality, as to sell some at five 
shillings a pound. There is one advantage in this culture 
here which ought not to be forgotten; in Louisiana the 
French planters after the tobacco is cut, weeded and cleaned 
the ground on which it grew the roots, push forth fresh 
shoots, which are managed in the same manner as the first 
crop. By this means a second crop is made on the same 
_ground, and sometimes a third. These seconds indeed, as 
they are called, do not usually grow so high as the first plant, 
but notwithstanding they make very good tobacco.” 
During the reign of the Stuarts, the plant was first culti- 
vated in New England but only in small quantities + and 
*Jacob van Chnrlerand David Provoost Were appointed inspect th 
tobacco. “In 1652the commonally ut Manhuttan Was informe Saree he aalliy 
intentions, the Amsterdam directors had determined to take off the export duty of tobacco.” 
Peiea aes Reh eae wrlttas ae ane Bou oe Natchez i particularly favorable for 
«3 overseers there, who will almost enga; 
and three hogsheads to the hand besides provisions." Sado Ebro gio you: Debweentwe 
¢ “Every farmer plants a quantity of tobacco near his house in roportion to the size of 
his family. It is ikewiac very necessary that they should plant Topieco, because It is a 
universally by the beople."—Hailm's travels in North America, 1772. 
