Reading it aloud, and with a bit of accent, it sounds like "shirk or sham," and I believe someone's already addressed "sham."  (I was raised in the military environment, so I had no idea it wasn't in everday usenymore!)
 
Also recognizing that spellin was somewhat phonetic at the time, "Aranoko" sounds a lot like "Oronoco," a different gradeof tobacco.  I won't elaborate further, since the community of Oronoco is in Amherst County.  
 
 
Holly Hodges
Amherst County, VA



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