536  Cultivation  of  Tobacco  in  Kentucky.  {%£vU^rm* 
of  that  one  substance  could  grow  so  that  for  the  year  1878  the  product 
was  valued  at  over  seven  millions  of  dollars,  what  may  we  not  expect, 
as  organic  compounds  become  more  fully  studied  and  are  better  known. 
Very  many  of  us  may  live  to  see  morphia  and  quinia  made  artificially, 
and  their  production  so  cheapened  that  their  price  may  be  reduced  to  a 
fraction  of  what  it  is  now. 
And  let  me  ask,  in  conclusion,  are  you,  the  pharmacists  of  the  com- 
ing era,  to  have  no  hand  in  this  work  ?  Sertiirner,  the  discoverer  of 
morphia  ;  Pelletier  and  Caventou,  the  discoverers  of  quinia,  cinchonia, 
strychnia  and  veratria  ;  Runge,  the  discoverer  of  carbolic  acid,  and 
Soubeiran,  the  discoverer,  simultaneously  with  Liebig,  of"  chloroform, 
were  all  pharmacists.  If  we  turn  to  the  list  of  former  professors  in 
this  school  we  find  the  names  of  men  who  have  contributed  greatly  to 
the  progress  of  organic  chemistry.  Many  of  the  most  honored  names 
of  living  workers  in  this  field  are  those  of  pharmacists,  or  those  who 
have  had  their  education  in  the  school  of  practical  pharmacy.  Let  us 
hope  that  in  the  brilliant  future  opening  before  organic  chemistry  phar- 
macists will  not  fail  to  go  their  share  of  the  work  and  to  reap  their 
share  of  the  rewards. 
CULTIVATION  OF  TOBACCO  IN  KENTUCKY. 
By  Watson  Megilx,  Ph.G. 
From  an  Inaugural  Essay. 
The  cultivation  and  handling  of  tobacco  engages  the  mind  and  occu- 
pies the  time  of  our  Kentucky  farmers  probably  more  than  all  the  rest 
of  their  products  combined:  as  I  will  presently  show  that  the  crop  is 
a  continuous  one,  scarcely  ever  off"  their  hands  ;  for  no  sooner  is  one 
crop  disposed  of  than  the  preparation  of  the  soil  for  the  succeeding  one 
begins.  It  is  well  to  bear  in  mind  that  these  remarks  on  cultivation 
do  not  apply  to  all  portions  of  the  State,  for  the  tobacco- raising  section 
is  principally  in  the  western  half.  The  farmers  in  the  eastern  half 
devote  their  time  and  attention  to  fine  stock  and  small  grain. 
Of  all  the  States  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  tobacco  Kentucky 
takes  precedence,  raising  in  1875  130,000,000  pounds.  This  quantity 
is  more  than  twice  the  product  of  any  other  State  for  the  corresponding 
year.    When  we  stop  to  consider  that  this  immense  quantity  is  princi- 
