Page:Economic History of Virginia Vol 1.djvu/461

 who replied with so much contempt to Mr. Clayton, when urged to drain the swamp, was only expressing the opinion entertained by the planters in general. The English traveller himself states that when he pressed the same advice upon a number of his acquaintances, they received the suggestion with an unmistakable flout. One explanation of their objection was, that tobacco produced in a soil which had been recovered from the bog, unless kept for a long time, was as incombustible in a pipe as leather. It was known as the non-burning sort, a defect in its first stage after curing that was temporarily fatal to its value. There was quite naturally but little disposition to cultivate a plant that was not marketable until it had been stored away for a very considerable period, during which it was exposed to the same risks of depreciation as the other grades. The incombustibility of leaves obtained from ground redeemed from swamp and marsh was supposed to be due to the small quantity of nitre the plant contained in consequence of the absence of that ingredient in the soil itself. The character of the product was dependent upon the character of the land. Both planter and merchant were disposed to lay much emphasis upon the substance of their tobacco, since its excellence was considered to be proportionate to the closeness of its texture, and this was only observed in perfection when the soil was especially adapted to its growth. Earth containing among its elements a moderate quantity of sand was thought to be very much impregnated with nitre, and was, therefore, peculiarly suitable for the cultivation of the variety most popular with smokers, its greater combustibility being attributed to this cause. This was the sweet-scented tobacco for which the Colony enjoyed so much