Re:a large part of the wrapper leaves were grown in New England, where special barns limited the amount of sunshine, to make leaf grow slowly without prominent veins.
the barns were for curing the leaves..and the are a particular design with vented sides. (maybe one of the southern members knows the name for the siding.)
the acutal field were covered with gauze-- or something about that weight. heaver then netting or cheese cloth, white, the field were wrapped up like gifts! tops and sides!
They were all along the connecicut river valley, (now one big strip mall and Interstate 91) when i was a child, it was all tobacco. I suppose they grew along other river valleys, too.
Tobacco was also grown all along the Bronx river valley, and the Bronx Botanital gardens has an old mill that has been made into a food court.. its not an old flour mill, but a snuff mill.. to grind the local grown tobacco into snuff.
