In Maryland they formerly prepared the land for a plant-bed by burning upon it a great quantity of brush-wood, afterwards raking the surface fine; the seed was then sowed broadcast. The young plants were kept free from weeds, and were transplanted when about two inches high. The cultivation of tobacco gradually spread from one State to another. From Virginia it was introduced into North Carolina and Maryland and finally Kentucky which is now the largest producing tobacco State in the Union. The demand for Virginia tobacco continued to increase and long before the Revolutionary war, Virginia exported annually thousands of hogsheads of leaf tobacco. Half a century ago the plant began to be cultivated in Ohio and from the first grew remarkably well, producing a leaf adapted for both cutting and cigar purposes. Tobacco was planted in New Netherland (New York) by the early Dutch settlers and in 1638 "had become a staple production." In 1639 "from Virginia numbers of persons whose terms of service had expired, were attracted to Manhattan, where they introduced improved modes of cultivating tobacco." Van Twiller was himself a grower of the plant and had his tobacco farm at Greenwich. Soon after its cultivation began it was subjected to Excise; and regulations were published to check the abuses which injured "the high name" it had gained in foreign countries.[17] [Footnote 17: Jacob van Churler and David Provoost were appointed inspectors of the new staple tobacco. "In 1652 the commonalty at Manhattan was informed that, to show their good intentions, the Amsterdam directors had determined to take off the export duty of tobacco."] Wailes says of the early cultivation of tobacco in Mississippi: "When the country came under the dominion of Spain, a market was opened in New Orleans; a trade in tobacco was established, and a fixed and remunerating price was paid for it, delivered at the king's warehouses. Tobacco thus became the first marketable staple production of Mississippi."[18] [Footnote 18: In 1783 Mr. Wm. Dunbar writes: "The soil of Natchez is particularly favorable for tobacco and there are overseers there, who will almost engage to produce you between two and three hogsheads to the hand besides provisions."] An English writer has the following account of the culture of tobacco in Louisiana by the French: