TOBACCO OF ECONOMIC PLANTS. 413 



tlie genus Agaricus and its allies, of wliich the common Musli- 

 room may be considered the type (which see). 



Tobacco (Mcohana Tabacum), an annual herb of the Night- 

 shade family (Solanace^e). The original country of this and several 

 other species producing Tobacco is America, where its use was 

 first discovered by Columbus in 1492, by whom on his return it 

 was introduced into Spain, and by Sir Walter Ealeigh into 

 England in 1589. Although great objections to its use were 

 raised by kings and popes, it nevertheless spread over Europe 

 and all countries of the East. Tobacco now constitutes a most 

 important article of commerce, being imported into England 

 from various countries under different names and qualities. The 

 great bulk comes from the United States, where it forms one of 

 the chief articles of cultivation (till recently by slaves). The 

 word Tobacco is said to be derived from the original name of 

 the pipe used by the Carib Indians for smoking it. It is a hand- 

 some growing plant, attaining a height of from 4 to 6 feet, 

 having broad oblong or sharp leaves, and pretty pmk, tubular, 

 or bell-shaped flowers. It grows freely in this country, but on 

 account of excise restrictions is not cultivated to any extent. 

 The different methods of manufacturing and using Tobacco are 

 too well known to be noticed here. Various kinds of snuff are 

 made from the leaves first being diied and then ground into 

 powder. No plant is of more extensive use, and it is calculated 

 that one man out of every four uses it. In 1878, 960 tons of 

 cigars were imported into this country, nearly half of which aie 

 imported from Cuba and other West Indian Islands ; the other 

 half from the United States and other countries. The high duty 

 on foreign tobacco has led to various plants being substituted for 

 it, as the leaves of cabbage, rhubarb, dock, and suchlike plants, 

 which are soaked with tobacco liquor, and so have imparted to 

 them the flavour of true tobacco ; they are then dried and made 

 into cigars- 



Tobacco, Mountain, a name given to Arnica montana, a low- 

 growing peiennial herb of the Composite family (Compositai), 

 native of the Alps and other parts of Central Europe. Its roots 



