There are more than one and a quarter millions acres in the U. S. under cultivation of tobacco which yields a crop at present approximating to 1,000 million lbs. of leaf annually.
The industry shows an absolutely increasing condition in every particular at each census. During the past 45 years the value of the product has increased more than $300,000,000.
In addition to the trade in manufacturing in the U. S. there is the export trade principally in unmanufactured leaf. This amounts at present to about $54,000,000 annually. The price of export leaf has been continuously increasing despite of the fact that the production of leaf abroad is increasing. Thus in 1886 the average export price of leaf from the U. S. was 8½c per lb. In 1914 it was more than 12c.
The following statement shows at a glance the marvelous increase in the tobacco industry:
Comparative Statement of Manufactured Tobacco in the U. S. (all products)
| Capital invested. | No. of persons employed. | Value of product. | |||||
| Year 1880 | $ 39,000,000 | 86,000 | $126,000,000 | ||||
| Year 1890 | 90,000,000 | 117,000 | 195,000,000 | ||||
| Year 1900 | 111,000,000 | 142,000 | 264,000,000 | ||||
| Year 1905 | 324,000,000 | 159,000 | 330,000,000 | ||||
| Year 1909 | 197,000 | 417,000,000 |
In addition to the number of persons employed in manufacturing we must take into account those employed (as well as the capital invested) in the agricultural and distributing ends.
The export manufacturing trade is not important, being only valued at about 3 million dollars annually.
The value of the home manufactured products which in 1905 was shown at $330,000,000 is distributed as follows.
| Cigars | $198,000,000 | |
| Cigarettes | 16,000,000 | |
| Chewing and smoking tobaccos | 109,000,000 | |
| Snuff | 6,000,000 | |
| Other products | 1,000,000 | |
| Total | $330,000,000 |