Precious Weed

Tobacco may be an evil weed to some, but to the farmers who grow it, "bacca" has long been manna. The golden leaf was the American Colonies' first profitable cash crop, and since the Depression the Federal Government has guaranteed farmers a rewarding price.

Along the way, a near feudal system has grown up on Southern tobacco farms. To limit production, farmers were given strict growing allotments. These lucrative allotments are hereditary; most owners, who now include stockbrokers and car salesmen, as well as widows and retired farmers, lease them out for up to $1,500 an acre.

Under the Government program,...

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