" Tobacco is grown very largely in China,
Japan, Persia and other countries of the
East, and has become naturalized to such
an extent that it has been said to be of
Eastern origin, but Alphonse de Candolle,
after studying the whole subject, declares
that tobacco was no where known until the
discovery of America."
"It was first cultivated in Europe in the
early part of the sixteenth century. It was
raised in France in 1372 ; a box full of the
powdered leaves having been sent to Cath
erine de Medici, who acquired a taste for
it, and it was for a long time called the
Queen's plant 'herbe de la reine.' "
We read that "there is a mighty river
flowing through the ocean whose waters
are warm, and in color an indigo blue,
that so distinctly are they marked that
their line of junction with the common sea
water may be distinguished by the eye."
As the Gulf stream may be distinguished
from the waters through which it flows
from its fountain head in the Gulf of Mex
ico, even unto its mouth in tho Arctic seas,
so the beautiful yellow tobacco of the
Golden Tobacco Belt of North Carolina,
may be distinguished by those who" are ac
quainted with it, from the immensity of
tobacco by which it is surrounded aud of
which it forms a part.
