CONNECTICUT VALLEY CIGAR LEAF TOBACCO. 145 



of cigars imported in 1850 was 124,303,000, valued at Sl,469,097; this was in- 

 creased to 460,404,000 cigars valued at $4,581,551 in 1860. Imports of unmanu- 

 factured tobacco (practically all cigar leaf) likewise increased from 2,480,446 

 pounds, valued at $272,438, in 1850, to 6,940,671 pounds, valued at $1,365,695, in 

 1860. Most of the leaf was imported from Cuba and Germany. The high-grade 

 cigars came from Cuba, and the lower grades mostly from Germany. * 



Since the Cuban tobacco made an acceptable blending with the domestic 

 leaf, the popularity of the Cuban cigar increased. Connecticut, however, 

 preferred her own leaf, being noted between 1850 and 1860 for her pro- 

 duction of "Clear New England" cigars. 



It was not until the middle of the century that cigars gained commercial 

 importance. The following table shows the gradual increase in the num- 

 ber manufactured in the United States from 1864, the first entire fiscal 

 year for which returns are reported by the Commissioner of Internal Rev- 

 enue, to the present time : — 



Table 2. — Increase since 1864 w the Number of Cigars manufactured in 



the United States.^ 



The first tax on cigars was imposed by act of Congress July 1, 1862, and 

 took effect September 1 of the same year. Licenses for dealers and manu- 

 facturers were not required until 1868. 



Connecticut Valley. 



Twelve counties in New England produce one acre or more of tobacco, 

 but only ten — Windham, in Vermont ; Cheshire, in New Hampshire ; 

 Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire, in Massachusetts; and Hartford, 

 Middlesex, Tolland, Litchfield and Fairfield, in Connecticut — reported 

 more than 10,000 pounds each in 1909. Approximately 94 per cent of the 

 tobacco is raised in the Cormecticut River valley proper; the tobacco of 

 Litchfield and Fairfield counties (Connecticut), amounting to about 6 per 

 cent of the total, is grown in the Housatonic valley. Moreover, the quality 



I MathewBon, Bull. No. 244, Bureau of Plant Industry, p. 18. 

 * Compiled from reports of Commissioner of Internal Revenue. 



