Chapter II: Preface

Ever since the discovery of tobacco it has been the favorite theme of many writers, who have endeavored to shed new light on the origin and early history of this singular plant. Upwards of three hundred volumes have been written, embracing works in nearly all of the languages of Europe, concerning the herb and the various methods of using it. Most writers have confined themselves to the commercial history of the plant; while others have written upon its medicinal properties and the various modes of preparing it for use. For this volume the Author only claims that it is at least a more comprehensive treatise on the varieties and cultivation of the plant than any work now extant. A full account of its cultivation is given, not only in America, but also in nearly all of the great tobacco-producing countries of the world. The history of the plant has been carefully and faithfully compiled from the earliest authorities, that portion which relates to its early culture in Virginia being drawn from hitherto unpublished sources. Materials for such a work have not been found lacking. European authors abound with allusions to tobacco; more especially is it true of English writers, who have celebrated its virtues in poetry and song. All along the highways and by-paths of our literature we encounter much that pertains to this "queen of plants." Considered in what light it may, tobacco must be regarded as the most astonishing of the productions of nature, since it has, in the short period of nearly four centuries, dominated not one particular nation, but the whole world, both Christian and Pagan. Ushered into the Old World from the New by the great colonizers--Spain, England, and France--it attracted at once the attention of the authors of the period as a fit subject for their marvel-loving pens. It has been the aim of the writer to give as much as possible of the existing material to be had concerning the early persecution waged against it, whether by Church or State. These accounts, while they invest with additional interest its early use and introduction, serve as well to show its triumph over all its foes and its vast importance to the commerce of the world. This work has been prepared and arranged, not only for the instruction and entertainment of the users of tobacco, but for the benefit of the cultivators and manufacturers as well. As such it is now presented to the public for whatever meed of praise or censure it is found to deserve.

Hartford, Conn., 1875.

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page

1. Frontispiece. --

2. Tobacco Stalks. 22

3. Tobacco Leaves. 24

4. Bud and Flowers. 25

5. Capsules. (Fruit Bud.) 27

6. Suckers. 28

7. Primitive Pipe. 33

8. Native Smoking. 35

9. Old Engraving. 40

10. The Contrast. 44

11. John Rolfe. 48

12. Virginia Tobacco Field, 1620. 51

13. Buying Wives. 57

14. Growing Tobacco in the Streets. 64

15. Natives Growing Tobacco. 66

16. Destroying Suckers. 69

17. Carrying Tobacco to Market. 73

18. Enriching Plant-Bed. 75

19. Shipping Tobacco. 78

20. Old Engraving of Tobacco. 86

21. Sir Walter Raleigh. 89

22. English Gallants. 90

23. Smoking in the 17th Century. 94

24. Exhaling through the Nose. 97

25. Old London Ale-house. 101

26. Punishment for Snuff Taking. 104

27. Silver Spittoons. 106

28. The Negro Image. 108

29. Tobacco and Theology. 112

30. Weighing Smoke. 117

31. Indian Pipe. 126

32. Sculptured Pipe. 128

33. Pipe of Peace. 130

34. A Model Cigar. 132

35. South Americans smoking. 135

36. A War Pipe. 139

37. Peace Pipe. 140

38. A Tchuktchi Pipe. 143

39. Turk Smoking. 145

40. Old English Pipes. 148

41. French Pipes. 149

42. Pipe Colorer. 152

43. German Porcelain Pipes. 153

44. A Persian Water Pipe. 156

45. Searching for Amber. 160

46. Fancy Pipes. 162

47. Clay and Reed Pipes. 164

48. Fairy Pipes. 166

49. Female Smoking in Algiers. 168

50. African Pipe. 170

51. Egyptian Pipes. 172

52. Japanese Pipes. 173

53. Engraved Boxes. 177

54. Tobacco Jars. 179

55. Tobacco Stoppers. 181

56. Lord and Lackey. 185

57. The Strange Youth. 190

58. Smokers Reading Epigrams. 193

59. The Explosion. 195

60. Theory against Experience. 199

61. A Faithful Attendant. 203

62. Newton and his Pipe. 207

63. Tennyson, Smoking. 209

64. Modern Smokers. 212

65. The Artist. 215

66. The Yankee Smoker. 216

67. A Tobacco Grater. 220

68. Demi-journées. 222

69. James Gillespie. 224

70. Fops Taking Snuff. (From an old print.) 226

71. Horn Snuff-boxes. 227

72. Scotch Snuff-mills. 232

73. Sweeping from the Pulpit. 235

74. Snuff-mill a Century ago. 240

75. Perfuming Snuff. 242

76. Fuegian Snuff-Takers. 244

77. Snuff-Dipping. 247

78. Snuffers. 248

79. Fancy Snuff-boxes. 251

80. Curing a Headache. 255

81. Highlanders. 257

82. Cigars. 260

83. Cigar-holders. 262

84. Life in Mexico. 266

85. Cuban Cigar Shop. 268

86. Tobacco Leaf. 271

87. Wenches Smoking. 274

88. A Moonlight Reverie in Havana. 275

89. By the Sea. 277

90. An American Smoker. 279

91. "Light, Sir?" 282

92. Bringing a Light. 285

93. Making Cigars. 288

94. Havanas. 301

95. Yara Cigars. 303

96. Manilla Cigar and Cheroot. 304

97. Swiss Cigars. 306

98. Paraguay Cigars. 306

99. Connecticut Tobacco Field. 312

100. Home of the Connecticut Planter. 315

101. Negro Quarters. 317

102. The Planter's Home. 318

103. "Burning the Patch." 322

104. Stringing the Primings. 323

105. Worming. 325

106. Ohio Tobacco Field. 329

107. Tobacco Warehouse. 331

108. Kentucky Tobacco Plantation. 332

109. The Kentucky Planter. 334

110. Florida Tobacco Plantation. 336

111. Louisiana Tobacco Plantation. 338

112. Mexican Tobacco Plantation. 342

113. St. Domingo Tobacco Field, 1535. 345

114. A Cuban _vega_. 346

115. Killing Bugs by Night. 348

116. Going to Market. 349

117. German Tobacco Field. 351

118. Dutch Planters. 355

119. Success to Von Tromp. 358

120. Tobacco Field in Algiers. 360

121. Tobacco Field in Africa. 361

122. Tobacco Field in Syria. 363

123. Tobacco Field in India. 365

124. Turkish Tobacco going to Market. 370

125. Japan Tobacco Field. 371

126. Transplanting. 372

127. Chinese Tobacco Field. 373

128. Tobacco Field in Persia. 374

129. Growing Tobacco on the Philippine Islands. 377

130. Tobacco Plow. 378

131. Spanish Planters. 380

132. Mexican Dwarf Tobacco. 384

133. Connecticut Seed Leaf. 385

134. Havana Tobacco. 387

135. Virginia Tobacco. 388

136. Ohio White Tobacco. 389

137. Latakia Tobacco (Syria). 393

138. Orinoco Tobacco (Venezuela). 397

139. Shiraz Tobacco (Persia). 398

140. Spanish Tobacco. 400

141. Japan Tobacco. 402

142. Old Connecticut Tobacco Shed. 406

143. Modern Connecticut Tobacco Shed. 407

144. Stripping Room. 408

145. Modern Virginia Shed. 409

146. Virginia Shed, 150 years ago. 410

147. Ohio Tobacco Shed. 412

148. Persian Tobacco Shed. 414

149. Making the Plant Bed in Connecticut. 418

150. Covering Plant Bed. 424

151. A Tobacco Ridger. 430

152. Drawing the Dirt Around the Foot. 432

153. Transplanting. 433

154. Transplanting. 434

155. American Transplanter. 437

156. The Worms. 438

157. Worming Tobacco. 439

158. Topping. 442

159. Suckering. 445

160. Cutting the Plants. 446

161. Putting on Lath. 447

162. Carrying to the Shed. 448

163. Stripping. 456

164. Hands. 457

165. Stemming. 460

166. Packing. 461

167. Prizing in Olden Times. 464

168. Tobacco Press. 467

169. Firing. 470

170. Spanish Seed Tobacco. 473

CONTENTS

Page
CHAPTER I.

THE TOBACCO PLANT.

Botanical Description -- Ancient Plant-Bed -- Description of
the Leaves -- Color of Leaves -- Blossoms -- The Capsules
and Seed --Selection for Seed -- Suckers -- Nicotine
Qualities -- Medicinal Properties -- Improvement in Plants.... 17

CHAPTER II.

TOBACCO. ITS DISCOVERY.

Early Use -- Origin of its Name -- Early Snuff-Taking --
Tobacco in Mexico -- Comparative Qualities of Tobacco --
Origin of the Plant -- Early Mammoth Cigars -- Sacredness of
the Pipe -- Early Cultivation -- Proportions of the Tobacco
Trade -- Variety of Kinds -- Tobacco and Commerce --
Original Culture.............................................. 32

CHAPTER III.

TOBACCO IN AMERICA.

First General Planter -- State of the Colony -- Conditions
of Raising Tobacco -- Tobacco Fields, 1620 -- Increase of
Tobacco-Growing -- Restriction of Tobacco-Growing -- Tobacco
used as Money -- King James opposes Tobacco-Growing --
Buying Wives with Tobacco -- Foreign Tobacco Prohibited --
King Charles on Tobacco -- King Charles as a Tobacco
Merchant -- Tobacco Taxed -- Planting in Maryland -- Negro
Labor -- Competition -- Growing Suckers -- Virginia Lands --
Picture of Early Planters -- Large Plantations -- Getting to
Market -- Virginia Plant-Bed -- Maryland Plant-Bed --
Tobacco Growing in New York and Louisiana -- New England
Tobacco -- Commercial Value of Tobacco -- Tobacco a
Blessing...................................................... 47

CHAPTER IV.

TOBACCO IN EUROPE.

Introduction -- The Original Importer -- Wonderful Cures --
How the Herb grew in Reputation -- Difference of Opinion --
A Smoker's Rhapsody -- Old Smokers -- The Queen Herb --
Drinking Tobacco -- Tobacco on the Stage -- Shakespeare on
Tobacco -- Smoking Taught -- Ben Jonson on the Weed --
Curative Qualities -- Modes of Use -- Held up to Ridicule --
Tirades against Tobacco -- Tobacco Selling -- Royal Haters
of Tobacco -- Old Customs -- A Racy Poem -- A Smoking
Divine........................................................ 80

CHAPTER V.

TOBACCO IN EUROPE. -- Continued.

Popular use of Tobacco -- Tobacco Glorified -- Weight of
Smoke -- Anecdotes -- Triumph of Tobacco -- A Government
Monopoly -- Tobacco a Blessing............................... 111

CHAPTER VI.

TOBACCO PIPES, SMOKING AND SMOKERS.

Indian Pipes -- Material for Pipes -- Legend of the Red Pipe
-- Chippewa Pipes -- Making the Peace Pipes -- South
American Pipes -- Cigarettes -- Tobacco on the Amazon River
-- Brazilian Tobacco -- Patagonians as Smokers -- Form and
Material -- Pipe of the Bobeen Indians -- The War Pipe --
Pipe Sculpture -- Smoking in Alaska -- Smoking in Russia --
Smoking in Peru -- Smoking in Turkey -- Moderate Smoking --
Female Smoking -- Early Manufacture of Pipes -- French
Pipes........................................................ 124

CHAPTER VII.

PIPES AND SMOKERS. -- Continued.

Meerschaum Pipes -- Coloring Meerschaums -- The City of
Smokers -- Hudson as a smoker -- Persian Water Pipes --
Turkish Pipes -- Amber Mouth Pieces -- Obtaining Amber --
Its Value -- Variety of Pipes -- History of Pipes -- Ancient
Habit of Smoking -- Buried Pipes -- Jasmine Pipes -- Smoking
in Algiers -- Smoking in Africa -- Defence of Smoking -- Tea
and Tobacco -- Chinese Pipes -- Smoking in Japan -- Tobacco
Boxes -- Tobacco Jars -- Musings over a Pipe -- Sad Fate of
a Chewer -- Triumph of the Anti's -- The Smoker's Calendar
-- Doctor Parr as a Smoker -- Smoking on the Battle-Field --
Literary Smokers -- Doctor Clarke on Tobacco -- Noted
Smokers -- Pleasant Pipe -- A Tobacco World -- Cruelty of
Smokers -- Men like Pipes -- Universal Use................... 150

CHAPTER VIII.

SNUFF, SNUFF-BOXES AND SNUFF-TAKERS.

Its Introduction -- Boxes and Graters -- Mode of Preparation
-- Snuff-Boxes -- A Celebrated Manufacturer -- The Snuffing
Period -- The Monk and his Snuff-Box -- A Pinch of Snuff --
Pleasures of Smelling -- Frederick the Great -- Eminent
Snuff-Takers -- The Story in Verse -- "Come to my Nose" --
Snuff Manufacture -- Preparation of Tobacco -- Grinding the
Leaves -- Flavoring the Snuff -- Profits Made -- Love of
Tobacco -- Chewing and Dipping -- Advantages of Dipping --
The First Snuffers -- Famous Snuff-Takers -- Snuff as a
Pacificator -- A National Stimulant -- Different Tastes --
Rise and Progress of Snuff-Taking............................ 218

CHAPTER IX.

CIGARS.

New York Cigars -- Havana Cigars -- Quality of Havana Cigars
-- Relative Value and Size -- Cigar-Makers -- Cuban Cigars
-- Cigar Manufactories -- Preparation of the Tobacco --
Sorting the Leaves -- Sales, etc. -- Large Factories --
Universal Smoking -- Cigar Etiquette -- Reveries --
Summer-Day Thoughts -- American Smokers -- At Home --
Sentiment -- Ode to a Cigar -- Cigar-Lighters -- Smoking an
Art -- Science of Lighting -- Age of Fusees -- "Home-Made
Cigars" -- Female Cigar-Makers -- A Spicy Article -- How to
Smoke -- Smoking Christians -- Lamb's Poem -- Tobacco
Compliment -- Cigarette Smoking -- Thomas Hood's Cigar --
Lord Byron's Opinion -- Kinds of Cigars -- Selecting Cigars
-- Yara Cigars -- Manilla Cigars -- Swiss Cigars -- Paraguay
Cigars -- Brazilian Cigars -- American Cigars -- Connecticut
Seed Leaf and Havana Cigars -- The Exile's Comfort........... 259