John Van de Graaff

By VandeGraaff

Tobacco Hanging

Tobacco leaves hanging in a tobacco barn in Hadley, Mass. The barn was evidently erected in 1948, when tobacco was a major crop in the Pioneer Valley.

Indeed, the Valley has evidently been well-known since the 1800's "for producing the finest tobacco available for cigar wrappers" --quoted from a cigar maker which uses those leaves in its cigars produced in the Dominican Republic.

Nevertheless, as I noted a few days ago, in recent years corn has largely supplanted tobacco, although the area remains very agricultural (to go with its five well-known colleges-- here, for example).

I still need to blip my promised view of a tobacco field--it will come soon!

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