▁the ▁French ▁mon et ary ▁and ▁tax ation ▁system ▁to ▁help ▁the ▁pe as ants . ▁ ▁Ad ul ter ation ▁of ▁to b acco ▁The ▁Farm ers ▁General ▁held ▁a ▁mon opol y ▁of ▁the ▁production , ▁import ▁and ▁sale ▁of ▁to b acco ▁in ▁France , ▁and ▁the ▁tax es ▁they ▁lev ied ▁on ▁to b acco ▁brought ▁reven ues ▁of ▁ 3 0 ▁million ▁livres ▁a ▁year . ▁This ▁re venue ▁began ▁to ▁fall ▁because ▁of ▁a ▁growing ▁black ▁market ▁in ▁to b acco ▁that ▁was ▁sm ugg led ▁and ▁ad ul ter ated , ▁most ▁commonly ▁with ▁ash ▁and ▁water . ▁Lav ois ier ▁de vised ▁a ▁method ▁of ▁checking ▁whether ▁ash ▁had ▁been ▁mixed ▁in ▁with ▁to b acco : ▁" When ▁a ▁spirit ▁of ▁vit ri ol , ▁aqu a ▁fort is ▁or ▁some ▁other ▁acid ▁solution ▁is ▁pou red ▁on ▁ash , ▁there ▁is ▁an ▁immediate ▁very ▁inten se ▁e f fer ves cent ▁reaction , ▁accompanied ▁by ▁an ▁easily ▁detected ▁noise ." ▁Lav ois ier ▁also ▁noticed ▁that ▁the ▁addition ▁of ▁a ▁small ▁amount ▁of ▁ash ▁improved ▁the ▁flav our ▁of ▁to b acco . ▁ ▁Of ▁one ▁vendor ▁s elling ▁ad ul ter ated ▁goods , ▁he ▁wrote ▁" H is ▁to b acco ▁enjo ys ▁a ▁very ▁good ▁reputation ▁in ▁the ▁province ... ▁the ▁very ▁small ▁proportion ▁of ▁ash ▁that ▁is ▁added ▁gives ▁it ▁a ▁particularly ▁p ung ent ▁flav our ▁that ▁consum ers ▁look ▁for . ▁Perhaps ▁the ▁Farm ▁could ▁gain ▁some