640 



TOBACCO 



TOBACCO 



Fig. 863. Flowers and seed-pod of 

 tobacco. 



three parts in each flower circle, have been found 

 growing on the same plant with pentamerous 

 flowers, or those having five floral parts. This is 

 the exception, however. 



History and distribution. 



The extreme antiquity of the use of the leaves of 

 this plant for smoking purposes is indicated by the 



discovery of pipes 

 and other means 

 for smoking to- 

 bacco in the pre- 

 historic mounds of 

 the United States, 

 Mexico and Peru. 

 Columbus, on his 

 voyages, discov- 

 ered the natives 

 using tobacco for 



7~ ""W H smoking, chewing 



and as a snuff. In 

 1558, Jean Nicot, 

 the French Am- 

 bassador to Por- 

 tugal, sent a supply of tobacco seed to Queen Cath- 

 erine de Medici, and to commemorate this service 

 the generic name Nicotiana was given the plant. 

 Killebrew states that early American explorers 

 heard the plant called tobacco in Mexico, where it 

 was cultivated extensively. The name " tobacco " 

 also may have come from the name of the kind of 

 pipe used by the Carribees, the " tobaco." 



The systematic cultivation of tobacco was begun 

 in Virginia about 1612, by John Rolfe. Among the 

 early settlers in Virginia, at Jamestown and other 

 places, tobacco was the common currency and the 

 principal article of export. It is asserted by com- 

 petent authorities that without this crop the first 

 settlement in Virginia would have been a failure, 

 and that tobacco was the foundation of the pros- 

 perity of the state. The cultivation of the crop 

 rapidly developed, so that in 1731 the export of 

 tobacco from Virginia and Maryland reached 

 60,000 hogsheads of 600 pounds each, yielding 

 $1,875,000. 



The culture of tobacco in New England began at 

 the time of the settlement of the country. Its cul- 

 ture was opposed by many of the Puritan settlers, 



so that it did not, develop to any great extent 

 until about 1795. At this time, some of the settlers 

 in the Connecticut valley, finding that the soil 

 and climatic conditions were favorable for the 

 development of a fine smoking tobacco, began 

 to grow considerable areas. It was found that this 

 tobacco, when manufactured into a roll, gave a 

 delightful aroma and had a pleasant taste. In this 

 way the first commercial cigars were made in the 

 homes of the settlers, some of which were shipped 

 for sale to New York and other thriving centers of 

 population. About 1811 or 1812, the 'first cigar- 

 manufacturing establishments were built at Wind- 

 sor and Suifield. This section has remained the 

 leading cigar-tobacco producing section until the 

 present time. The industry in New England has 

 had many changes during this period, but,_ as a 

 whole, it remains one of the most profitable in the 



Fie. 865. Variation in tobacco seedlings. 



leaves. 



Rouud type of 



Showing variations in shape and type of tobacco 

 seedlings. Pointed type of leaves. 



Connecticut valley. As a result of the importation 

 of Cuban tobacco, and of the development of the 

 Ohio and Pennsylvania tobacco-producing sections, 

 where the tobacco has a superior aroma and flavor, 

 the Connecticut valley tobacco has come to be 

 largely used for cigar wrapper and binder purposes, 

 the Ohio, Pennsylvania and imported Cuban to- 

 baccos being used for cigar fillers. The New Eng- 

 land tobaccos have a peculiar gloss, stretch and 

 burn, which particularly fits them for cigar-wrap- 

 per purposes, in addition to the fact that when 

 wrapped on cigars they blend nicely with the best 

 fillers. 



Extent of the iridustry. 



The widely varying types of soil in the tobacco 

 districts, and the different varieties of tobacco, 

 have made it possible to produce products suitable 

 for the manufacture of the varied products de- 

 manded by the consumers. Some idea of the value 

 of the crop may be gained from the estimate of the 

 value of the crop in 1906, in the United States. 

 About 796,099 acres of tobacco were grown, pro- 

 ducing an average yield of 857.2 pounds to the 

 acre, or a total of 682,428,530 pounds. The average 

 value of the crop was about ten cents per pound, or a 

 total of about $68,232,647. The value of the manu- 

 factured products of tobacco in- 1900 was $283,- 

 076,546. The products may be divided into three 

 general classes, of which the values were as fol- 

 lows : Cigars and cigarettes, $160, 223,152 ; chew- 



