TOBACCO. 



293 



Though cultivated in Africa, the tobacco of that country 

 has taken no important position in commerce. 



Noth withstanding a high rate of duty payable upon im- 

 portation, the consumption of tobacco in this country is 

 immense. In 1850 the imports were 42,441,520 lbs.; of this 

 a very large portion was re-exported. The following sta- 

 tistics of its consumption are taken from a paper ' On the 

 history and consumption of Tobacco/ by John Crawford, 

 Esq., read before the Statistical Society, November 15th, 



1852, reported in the ( Literary Gazette' of January 1st, 



1853. The table "exhibits the rapid increase in its con- 

 sumption during the last thirty years. 



Years. 



Consumption. 



Duty 

 per lb. 



Revenue. 



Population. 



Consump- 

 tion per 

 head. 



1821 

 1831 

 1841 

 1851 



lbs. 

 15,598,152 

 19,532,841 

 22,309,360 

 28,062,978 



4s. 

 3s. 

 3s. 

 3s. 



£. 

 3,122,383 

 2,964,592 

 3,580,163 

 4,485,768 



21,282,960 

 24,410,439 

 27,019,672 



27,452,262 



oz. 

 11-71 



12-80 

 13-21 

 16-86 



"The total annual production of tobacco is estimated at 

 2,000,000 of to?is, and would require half the British ton- 

 nage which ' enters inwards' or ' clears outwards' annually, 

 to transport the same. The value, at 2d. per pound, would 

 amount to £37,000,000 sterling." 



