For a very good history of tobacco.
A good reference for many tobacco web sites
Here are pictures of tobacco barns
Here are more pictures of tobacco barns
WHAT IS IT ?
Here is a quotation from the North Carolina State University archives
"Tobacco is related to garden vegetables, flowers, weeds, and poisonous
herbs such as potatoes,tomatoes, eggplant, petunias, jimson wood,
ground cherries, and nightshade. The family of plants is Solanaceae;
the genus Nicotiana contains about 100 species, only two of which have
been extensively cultivated. Nicotiana tabacam is used in cigarettes
and tobacco and is the predominant type of crop tobacco." end of quote..
For further information please consult the site above.
Here are the types of tobacco grown today
- FLUE-CURED
- BURLEY
- FIRE-CURED
- SOUTHERN
- DARK AIR-CURED
- ALL CIGAR TYPES
Here are the States that grow Tobacco:
NORTH CAROLINA FLORIDA
KENTUCKY CONNECTICUT
TENNESSEE PENNSYLVANIA
SOUTH CAROLINA MARYLAND
VIRGINIA MISSOURI
GEORGIA WISCONSIN
OHIO MASSACHUSETTS
INDIANA WEST VIRGINIA
Tobacco is also grown in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana,
Minnesota, New Mexico and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
HOW IS IT SHIPPED ?
The tobacco plants are harvested and cured locally, in the fall brought
to Auction Warehouses for sale to processors. Before the advent of
gasoline/diesel trucks most was hauled in wagons.
Much of the purchased tobacco at the Auction Houses is transported by truck.
Some is loaded into box cars and taken to cigarette plants etc.
After processing into cigarettes, cigars and snuff the finished products
are shipped by rail in box cars and truck by highway.
Export tobacco products leave the East Coast at Norfolk, Va.,Wilmington, NC.,
Charleston, Sc., Savannah, Ga. and Tampa, Fl.
WHAT IS IT USED FOR ?
Tobacco products are smoked, chewed, dipped and sniffed. For an idea of the
commercial value of tobacco products see Friends of Tobacco .
© S.A. McCALL