624 



DRUGS, NASCOTICS, ETC. 



vation upon the plantations of North America, and my having been, I believf, 

 the grower of the greatest quantity of tobacco in the colony, qualify me to afford 

 instructions thereon ; whereby, if attended to, our tobacco will become fully 

 equal to the American, as was proved to be the case by the crops I grew here 

 (upwards of 40 tons),* which were sold in Sydney by the Commissariat Depart- 

 ment at public auction, at an advance of twenty per cent, more than the im- 

 ported leaf. As the duty on tobacco is about to be reduced, the present produc- 

 tion may fall off, unless an immediate improvement in its quality take place. 

 Instead of being importers of tobacco, we should, if it was grown here to 

 perfection, be exporters of it to all our .=ister colonies ; and in its raw state, also 

 to the European markets. At present, for home consumption, there is a greater 

 profit to be made by its cultivation, if skilfully managed, than in any part of 

 the world ; for the duty upon imported is a positive bonus to the grower. 



In 1849-50 there were fifteen manufactories of tobacco on a 

 small scale in ISTew South Wales, but these were reduced in 1851 

 to six. 



Many samples of tobacco grown in the colony have been pro- 

 nounced by competent judges equal to Virginian, but a very con- 

 siderable prejudice exists against it. There is, however, no doubt 

 that the dealers dispose of a great deal as American tobacco, and 

 get a best price for it. The reduction of the import duties on 

 foreign tobacco, recently made by the Legislative Council, will 

 probably retard the progress of the colonial ])roduction and manu- 

 facture of this article ; but with an abundance of labor there is 

 no question that this branch of industry will be again profitably 

 resorted to. The quantity of tobacco manufactured in I^ew South 

 Wales, in 1847, was 1,321 cwt. ; in 1848, 714 cwt. ; in 1849, 

 2,758 cwt. ; in 1850,3,833 cwt. ; in 1851, 4,841 cwt. 



A correspondent of the Adelaide Observer recommends its 

 culture in South Australia, and supplies the foUovring useful 

 information : — 



Without entering into botanical details, I will simply state that the plant is 

 of a shrubby nature, about five feet high, and ought not to be planted nearer 

 than four feet from each other, in rows five feet apart — thus allowing for each 

 plant a space of ground four feet by five, or 20 square feet. Aji acre will 

 consequently furnish sufficient room for 2,178 plants. 



The tobacco plant will thrive in almost any climate, from the torrid zone to 

 the temperature of Great Britain. It luxuriates in rich alluvial valleys, where 

 the soil is either of a loamy or a peaty nature. 



Maiden soil is not recommended. The ground should be trenched, worked 

 as fine as possible, and well manured. Tobacco will not answer unless the 

 subsoil is thoroughly broken. The best manure is that obtained from the 

 bullock-yard, and bark from the tan yard ; and by two or three ploughings the 

 earth can be brought to a proper consistency, and fit for the reception of the 

 plants. 



The usual method adopted in Xew South Wales, is to raise the plants in a 

 warm, sheltered bed, neither exposed to Mdnd nor to the sun's rays ; but if the 

 weather is dry, they should be well watered night and morning. The time of 

 sowing is the end of August or the beginning of September in the latitude of 

 Sydney, according to the state of the weather; and they may be transplanted 

 when they have attained their sixth leaf, which is generally about a month or 

 five weeks after they are up. 



The period is rather later in this colony, and care should be taken that the 



* A great portion of tlie crop I grrw had leaves measuring two feet nine inches in length 

 and eighteen inches wide, being larger than I ever knew to have been grown in America. 

 The average weight I obtained per acre, was 25 cwt. ; whereas I see b}' the piiblic returns, 

 the average of what is grown here is only 17 l-7th cwt. 



