Generally, the new tobacco law, which was due to Gooch, worked and prices improved. Of course, many factors affected the price of tobacco. For example, the major market for tobacco was in Europe, not in England. If there was a war going on, trade was not always possible. So there could be severe cuts in demand. Then there was the uncertainty of the supply. In some years, not enough rain, or too much rain, would spoil the crop and cut the supply. There were years where the supply was said to be one-tenth to one-third of the usual.
There were depressions in England, which cut into the demand. In spite of the measures which were adopted to improve and limit the supply, prices could not always be predicted. There was another factor which hurt the Virginia planter, and that was the limited number of merchants who bought tobacco. In England these merchants could talk among themselves and set the market. There was another way in which the merchants limited the planter's options. The tobacco buyer was often a goods seller. The merchant would offer a higher price for the tobacco if the planter bought the things he needed through the merchant.
In short, a planter had to work hard and could not be sure that he would have a good return on his efforts. Growing tobacco was hard work which required keen judgment, both before and after its harvest. In the spring of the year, seeds are placed in a hotbed and nurtured until they are a few inches high. In May, the plants are set out. Basically, the center stalk supports leaves that grow around the stalk. In August, probably, the stalk is cut a few inches above the ground. The plants are hung upside down over a pole and the pole is placed in a drying shed. The stalk and leaves dry out, but total crispness is not desired as the tobacco would crumble and turn to dust. At the right time, the leaves are stripped of their fibrous stems and stalks. The leaves are then pressed into a large barrel by the use of mechanical devices to develop high forces. The barrel is sealed and taken to market, either by wagon or by rolling.
[Had it not been for the running of tobacco around the customs inspector, we would not have known the name of the Captain that brought the Second Germanna Colony. Custom officials were caught accepting bribes from Andrew Tarbett, Captain of the ship Scott, to allow tobacco to pass without the payment of customs duties. This was in 1724. Apparently, Tarbett was not apprehended for his part in this illegal activity. It does serve, though, to define who the Captain was who had brought the 1717 group. When other records are examined, Tarbett was found to have been talking to Alexander Spotswood in the spring of 1717, where he learned of Spotswood's desire to obtain a shipload of Germans.]
For this little mini-series on tobacco and tobacco legislation, I am indebted to "
The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography
." The most recent issue, volume 108, number 4, has an article by Stacy L. Lorenz on the subject.
(31 May 01)
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.