CHAPTER XI 

 TOBACCO 



Tobacco is by no means a crop which is restricted to the 

 tropical regions of the world. In fact, it is cultivated through- 

 out the Tropics, subtropics, and Temperate Zones. It was 

 originally, however, a native of tropical America and the vari- 

 ous forms, strains, and varieties of cultivated tobacco are con- 

 sidered as having originated from Nicotiana tabacum and N. 

 rusiica. The world's crop of tobacco is at present about 2,750,- 

 000,000 pounds. On the contiguous mainland of the United 

 States about 950,000,000 pounds are produced, in British India 

 450,000,000, in Russia 255,000,000, in Java and Sumatra 180,- 

 000,000, in Hungary 145,000,000, in Japan 111,000,000, in the 

 Philippines 100,000,000, in Cuba 75,000,000, in Brazil 65,000,- 

 000, in Mexico 34,000,000, in Argentina 31,000,000, in Algeria 

 21,000,000, in Porto Rico 17,000,000, and smaller quantities in 

 various other countries. 



Columbus, on his first voyage of discovery, found the natives 

 of Cuba smoking tobacco. He made some inquiry regarding 

 the nature and properties of the weed and carried the news 

 of the use of this plant to Europe. Tobacco was introduced 

 into the botanic gardens of Lisbon in 1560, into France a little 

 later, and in England about 1595. There is an enormous mass 

 of literature relating to the discovery of the use of tobacco, 

 its introduction into European countries, and the interesting 

 events which were connected with its adoption by the popula- 

 tion of the European countries. A strict government monopoly 

 is maintained on tobacco in France, Austria, Italy, Roumania, 

 Turkey, and a few other countries. 



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