Persia.—The whole of the eastern coast of the Black Sea, i. e. Mingrelia, Lazistan, Abkhasia, and Circassia, is admirably suited for tobacco cultivation. The country between Poti and Stikhilm Kale contains admirable sites for tobacco-plantations, labour for which can be got from Trebizond. A great demand for tobacco of good quality exists in the country, and a practical planter should do well. A quantity of coarse, badly-cured tobacco, of no commercial value, is produced in Imeritia and Georgia. Great success has attended the culture in Ghilan. The first seed introduced was from Samsoun ; since then Yenija seed has been tried, and some parcels attained the standard of the best Turkish tobacco. It can be produced at about 20s. a pood (of 36 lb.), giving a profit of 22s. a cwt. Hitherto the cultivation has been confined to the plains, where both soil and atmo sphere are damp, but it might be worth trying the hill-skirts. About 2000 cwt. were produced in 1878. The exports of tobacco, the produce of Ghilan, from Reaht to Russia were valued at 4615/. in 1878, and 6154/. in 1879. The values (in rupees) of the exports in 1879 were 13,000 from Buahire, 73,500 from Lingah, and 35,000 from Bahrein.
Philippines.—The soil and climate of the Philippines are eminently suited to tobacco-culture ; but the unjust Spanish monopoly cripples the industry, and it is declining. Next to the Cuban (Vuelta abajo) and a few prime Turkish sorts, Manilla tobacco is admitted to be the best. Most of the Philippines produce it. According to the quality of the produce, the provinces rank as follows: —(1) Cayagan and Ysabel, (2) Ygorrotea, (3) Island of Mindanao, (4) Biaayaa, (5) New Ecija. On the average, over 400 million cigars, and a quantity of tobacco sufficient to bring up the total weight to 56,000 cwt., are annually exported. The advantage of the plantations in Cayagan lies in the annual deposit of alluvial matters by the overflowing of the large streams. The cultivation in Biaayaa promises to become extinct, whereas if the natives were free to sell in the best market, the industry would increase immensely. The yield of the Cebu district in 1878 was 8780 quintals, the whole of which went to the cigar factories of Cadix and Alicante. The exports from Manilla were :—in 1877, 17,526,700 lb. tobacco, value 525,801/. ; 87,007,000 cigars, value 243,6191.; 1878, 15,630,400 lb. tobacco, value 468,918l.; 136,835,000 cigars, value 383,136l.; 1879, 9971 quintals (of 101i lb.) tobacco leaf to Great Britain, and 74,490 quintals to Spain ; cigars, 10,571,000 to Great Britain, 6,557,000 to Australia, 44,586,000 to the Straits Settlements and India, 25,861,000 to China and Japan, 693,000 to the United States, 100,000 to California, 1,521,000 to Spain and the Con tinent; the total values amounted to 480,2631. The exports of tobacco from Yloilo were 25,454
piculs (of 133* lb.) in 1878, and 20,600 quintals (of 101/ lb.) in 1879, all to Spaiu.
Servia.—It is estimated that there are 4000 acres under tobacco-culture in Servia.
Spain.—The port of Cadiz is a great centre of the tobacco industry. The imports here in 1878 were :-123 kilo. from Germany, 304,538 kilo. from the United States, and 6,776,900 kilo. from Spanish colonies ; the exports were 15,600 kilo. to Germany, and 213,846 kilo. to France.
Turkey.—The Turkish Empire has long been known as producing some of the finest tobaccos in the world. In the sanjac of Drama, which forms the vice-consular district of Cavalla, tobacco is the staple article of production and industry, and some 75,000 acres were devoted to its culture in 1873. The whole crop of 1871 was reckoned at 11,200,000 lb., the exports having been 7,600,0001b., value 37,825/. The tobacco of this district, though derived entirely from one species, is divided into two classes, known as Drama and Yeniclji. The former leaf is larger, stouter, and more potent, and generally of deep reddish-brown colour ; the latter is smaller, slighter, less narcotic, with a peculiarly delicate aroma, and the beat is of a rich yellow colour, whence its name " golden-leaf." The Drama kind is principally grown in the western portion of the district, and is the class supplied to European markets. The differences in the two kinds seem to be due solely to the soil.
The plantations in the Drama district proper occupy both plain and hill-side. The produce of the former is much the more considerable, and superior. The beat leaves, distinguished by a stronger and more substantial texture, and a dark-red hue, go to Constantinople; the inferior and lighter-coloured find a sale in Russia. The mountain product is much inferior in quality and is sent chiefly to Europe. When the leaves are petiolate, or furnished with stems, they are made up in manoks ("hands ") of 10-15, and termed bashi-baghli (" head-tied "); when the leaves are sessile, or devoid of stems, they are simply pressed together in small numbers, and called bassma. The whole produce of this locality varies from 2,100,000 to 2,450,000 lb. yearly. The growth obtained in the Vale of Pravista is known as Demirli. It is inferior, unsubstantial, and dark-coloured, and usually made up as bashi-baghli. The annual production is about 2 million lb. ; the exports to England were 1,600,000 lb. in 1871. Cavalla affords yearly about 300,000 lb. of inferior quality, chiefly as bashi-baghli, and mostly consumed locally. The shipping port for all these places is Cavalla.