r ally before peace should once more open
the flood gates to Virginia and Maryland tobacco. With this in view the
acreage in Holland devoted to the cultivation of the leaf was rapidly
extended. "The Dutch are improving and increasing their tobacco
plantations," wrote John Linton in 1706. "In 1701 they produced only
18,000 hogsheads. Last year it was 33,500 hogsheads." Plantations at
Nimwegen, Rhenen, Amersfoort and Nijkerk turned out 13,400,000 pounds,
while great quantities were raised on the Main, in Higher Germany and in
Prussia.[8-31]

The Dutch mixed their own leaf with that of Virginia and Maryland in the
proportion of four to one, subjected it to a process of manufacture and
sent it out to all the European markets.[8-32] In 1707 a letter to John
Linton stated that they had from thirty to forty houses for "making up
tobacco in rolls," employing 4,000 men, besides great numbers of women
and girls. Their Baltic exports were estimated at 12,350,000 pounds;
2,500,000 pounds to Norway, 1,500,000 to Jutland and Denmark, 4,000,000
to Sweden, 2,350,000 to Lapland, 2,000,000 to Danzig and
Koenigsberg.[8-33]

With the continuation of the war on the continent Dutch competition
became stronger and stronger. In 1714, when peace was at last in
prospect, they seemed thoroughly entrenched in many of the markets
formerly supplied by the English. "The planting of tobacco in Holland,
Germany, Etc.," it was reported to the Board of Trade, "is increased to
above four times what it was 20 years ago, and amounts now to as much as
is made in both Virginia and Maryland." The tobacco trade, which had
formerly produced some L250,000 in the balance of trade, had declined to
about half that figure, exports of manufactured goods to the Chesapeake
were rapidly dwindling, the number of ships engaged in carrying tobacco
was greatly reduced, the merchants were impoverished, the planters were
ruined.[8-34]

"It is hardly possible to imagine a more miserable spectacle than the
poorer sort of inhabitants in this colony," the Council wrote in 1713,
"whose labour in tobacco has not for several years afforded them
clothing to shelter them from the violent colds as well as heats to both
which this climate is subject in the several seasons. The importation of
British and other European commodities by the merchants, whereby the
planters were formerly well supplied with clothing, is now in a manner
wholly left off and the small supplies still ventured so