Tobacco growing is one of the most profitable branches of tropical and sub-tropical agriculture; the$1“$2”$3has even been proposed as a remunerative crop for the British farmer, and is very extensively grown in continental Europe. The attention recently drawn to the subject has resulted in many inquiries for information useful to the planter desirous of starting a tobacco estate. But beyond scattered articles in newspapers and the proceedings of agricultural societies, there has been no practical literature available for the English reader. It is a little remarkable that while our neighbours have been writing extensively about tobacco growing, of late years, no English book devoted exclusively to this subject has been published for nearly thirty years. A glance at the bibliography given at the end of this volume will show that the French, German, Swiss, Italian, Dutch, Sicilian, and even Scandinavian planter has a reliable handbook to guide him in this important branch of agriculture, while British settlers in our numerous tobacco-growing colonies must glean their information as best they may from periodical literature.

To supply the want thus indicated, the present volume has been prepared. The invaluable assistance of tobacco-planters in both the Indies and in many other tropical countries, has rendered the portion relating to field operations eminently practical and complete, while the editor’s acquaintance with agricultural chemistry and familiarity with the best tobacco-growing regions of Asiatic Turkey, have enabled him to exercise a general supervision over the statements of the various contributors.