s, and be amazed at the expanse of land
covered with the great, broad green leaf of the flourishing tobacco
plant.

'Putting these things before my audience, they would admit that the
cultivation of tobacco was a misuse of a large portion of their
better land, that in cultivating and using tobacco they were doing
what was wrong, and hindering heaven from feeding them. Heaven had
given them good land and good rains for the purpose of growing
food. The growth of tobacco was defeating heaven's purpose, and as
long as they did so, what face had they to ask for good seasons? To
take good land and plant it with tobacco, with what face could they
ask heaven to send rain, seeing that if rain came, what grew would
not be grain but tobacco, a thing which they themselves to a man
admitted was no use at all? And so my audience would admit that as
preliminary to getting or even expecting a good harvest was the
discontinuance of the use and growth of tobacco.

'In the course of a year and a half of outdoor preaching in streets
and at fairs, and private conversation with individuals, I never
met an audience that defended tobacco as useful, and do not think I
met more than three individuals who had anything to say in its
defence. Almost everyone, smokers included, admitted its
uselessness. Many do not seem to have thought the cultivation and
use of it any harm, or having any bearing on the question of food
supply and good harvests; they usually regarded it as simply a
piece of extravagance on their own part, which had no bearing on
anything or anybody beyond themselves. But when pointed out to them
they readily admit that tobacco cultivation lessens the production
of grain, and as readily admit that the wrongdoing in this misuse
of land is likely to further harm the harvest by offending heaven
into being unwilling to send rain. I myself never used to look on
smoking as any great evil, till led into this district, and thus
forced to study the subject. In England I had never seen tobacco
grown. A smoker there spends a few coppers, and smokes; what harm
does he do? Does not he increase trade and help the revenue? His
smoking seems to harm no one but himself. Such were my thoughts.
But in this district I see the cultivation of tobacco limiting the
supply of grai