▁the ▁French ▁Revolution <0x0A> </s> ▁The ▁cultiv ation ▁of ▁to b acco ▁usually ▁takes ▁place ▁ann ually . ▁The ▁to b acco ▁is ▁germ in ated ▁in ▁cold ▁frames ▁or ▁hot bed s ▁and ▁then ▁trans pl anted ▁to ▁the ▁field ▁until ▁it ▁m atures . ▁It ▁is ▁grown ▁in ▁warm ▁clim ates ▁with ▁rich , ▁well - dra ined ▁soil . ▁About ▁ 4 . 2 ▁million ▁hect ares ▁of ▁to b acco ▁were ▁under ▁cultiv ation ▁world wide ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁yield ing ▁over ▁seven ▁million ▁t onnes ▁of ▁to b acco . ▁ ▁S ow ing ▁and ▁growth ▁ ▁Tob acco ▁se eds ▁are ▁scattered ▁onto ▁the ▁surface ▁of ▁the ▁soil , ▁as ▁their ▁germ ination ▁is ▁activ ated ▁by ▁light . ▁In ▁colonial ▁Virginia , ▁seed bed s ▁were ▁fert il ized ▁with ▁wood ▁ash ▁or ▁animal ▁man ure ▁( fre qu ently ▁pow der ed ▁horse ▁man ure ). ▁Se ed bed s ▁were ▁then ▁covered ▁with ▁branches ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁young ▁plants ▁from ▁fro st ▁damage , ▁and ▁the ▁plants ▁were ▁left ▁alone ▁until ▁around ▁April . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁young ▁plants ▁came ▁under ▁increasing ▁attack ▁from ▁certain ▁types ▁of ▁fle a ▁be et les , ▁Ep it rix ▁c uc umer is ▁or ▁Ep it rix ▁pub esc ens , ▁which ▁destroyed ▁half ▁the ▁U . S . ▁to b acco ▁cro ps ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 6 . ▁In ▁the ▁years ▁after ward ,