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(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
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New England's Connecticut Valley farmers began growing tobacco under tents in about 1901, using a variety of Cuban tobacco. High tariffs protected American tobacco from competition with Cuban and Sumatran tobacco. This resulted in a tobacco boom between 1890 and 1914. Connecticut Valley shade tobacco became the highest-priced leaf in the country, and remains highly sought after for use in cigar wrappers. Tobacco leaves under these nets is lighter colored and milder in flavor than tobacco grown in full sunlight. Even with farm machinery like the truck in this postcard, growing and harvesting shade tobacco is hot, painstaking, and difficult work.

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