TOBACCO .................

 

Tobacco/terbaccy/baccy/chew........whatever it is  called in  different places .......it is disgusting smoked /chewed/ground .....it is a  multi billion dollar business .......especially in cigars ....... which has  an  elegance  about  it .........for some  reason i personally love the smell of  cigars   the   brandy ones ......the chocolate ones .....brandy and whisky and  cigars ......cigarttes and beer  different i guess ......who knows its  all in the minds  eye   ....one mans  cigar  is  another  mans ......something or other  ........you know  how it goes ........tobacco is   responsible for many........ many  deaths  ....in the  forms  ......or  chewing tobacco.......... and  cigarettes .....but  hey !!!!!!!........ each to his  fucking own i say ........anyways here for your   pleasure is  the   history of  tobacco  .....like it or not  ......

The Cultivation and History of Tobacco

August 31, 2023 | Ish Bautista

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The origin of tobacco dates all the way back to Mesoamerica where it was first discovered in South America. Then, it was used in ethnobotany as a type of painkiller and for treating harsh physical conditions. The tobacco leaves would also be crushed to treat earaches and toothaches. Tobacco has many uses and long-standing history, let’s discover how its leaves were cultivated and its many uses in history.

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Cultivating Tobacco

Cultivating tobacco was a methodical and tedious process. It would take a few years for the tobacco to cure and the first step would be to cover them in the hay to let them “sweat.” This was one of the oldest methods of sweating tobacco and in the 1620s, tobacco barns ended up hanging the tobacco leaves over rails for curing and this method was much more efficient. The curing process would take up to six weeks until the leaves turn. Afterward, the tobacco farmers would hit the leaves then lay them on the ground to sweat again for two weeks. After sweating, sorting was the next step. The leaves would be stretched when they’re dry and later used for smoking purposes.

Preparing Tobacco for Shipping

The way tobacco was prepared for transport was simple. The leaves were twisted and rolled and shaped in a rope. It was also sometimes rolled into a ball form and could weigh up to 100 pounds! These tobacco balls would then be transported in barrels and shipped to England and other parts of the world.  Merchant vessels would travel from dock to dock to pick up the barrels filled with tobacco waiting for them at the entrance of different ports.

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Tobacco farms still exist today and tobacco products are still widely used all around the world. While many people use it today to unwind and destress, it still possesses health hazards and should be used sparingly. Billions of dollars flow into tobacco companies now and they’re making a profit from it way more than its earlier discoverers. The use of tobacco has transformed into a global business now but despite this, it’s great to hear where it originated from and how it came to be popularised.