MANY NATIVE AMERICANS USED TOBACCO AS A CULTIVATED CROP AS WELL AS A NATIVE PLANT CALLED NICOTIANA SPECIES. SOME NATIVES WERE PLANTED IN THE MIDDENS OF THE VILLAGE SITES. SOME TRIBES TODAY PRUNE BACK LEAVES OF THE HERBACEOUS STEMS IN THE HARVESTING OF EDIBLE GREENS.
THE YUROK SELECTED A PLACE WHERE THEY COULD CULTIVATE TOBACCO IN THE FOLLOWING WAY BY BURNING A PILE OF BRUSH AND THEN PLANTING THE SEEDS IN THE ASHES. BURNING OFF SHRUBLANDS WAS A TYPICAL THING TO DO. TWO SPECIES OF TOBACCO GROW WILD IN TUBATULABAL COUNTRY. IN EARLY SUMMER WOMEN STRIPPED OFF THE SIDE SHOOTS TO ENCOURAGE LARGER LEAF GROWTH, AND THEY WERE PRUNED TWICE ANNUALLY.
THE EASTERN MONO USED A SPECIES OF TOBACCO THAT THEY BURNED OFF THE LAND EACH SPRING AND TRIMMED THE POORER LEAVES OFF IN THE SUMMER SO TO FAVOR LARGER LEAVES. THE GATHERING OF THEIR GREENS WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH A TENDENCY TO HAVE A SUSTAINABLE HARVEST IN FUTURE YEARS.
KAT ANDERSON
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