28 



There are two principal varieties of Connecticut seed- 

 leaf, broad and narrow leaf — of these two, the broad leaf 

 is considered the finest, cutting up to better advantage in 

 -cigar making, and ripening and curing fully as well. 



This tobacco has not that line flavor of Cuban tobacco, 

 but in texture is considered equal to it. It burns freely, 

 leaving a white or pearl colored ash, which is one of the 

 best evidences of a good cigar tobacco. 



The leaf is Arm and strong, and sufficiently elastic to 

 bear considerable manipulating in manufacture. Thorough 

 cultivation by the growers has made this quality of tobacco 

 one of the most profitable of any cigar tobacco grown in 

 the United States. 



This figure represents a plant 

 of Virginia tobacco maturing 

 seed. Virginia tobacco has ac- 

 quired a reputation which has 

 gradually increased for more than 

 two hundred and fifty years. 



The plant grows to the height 



of from three to five feet; the 



leaves are long and broad, and 



when cured are of various colors, 



from a rich brown mahogany, 



cinnamon, to a fine golden yellow. 



Figure 12. The finest quality of Virginia to- 



'i)acco comes from the southside counties, but the amount 



is small compared to the quantities of dark raised on the 



liowlands of the Dan and James rivers and their tributa 



ries. The tobacco grown in the southside and southwestern 



counties of Virginia is much lighter in color, and of much 



softer and finer texture than the ordinary Virginia tobacco. 



