143 



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 fine 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 firm and strong, and sufiiciently elastic to 

 bear considerable manipulating in manufacture. Thorough 

 cultivation by the growers has made this quality of to- 

 bacco one of the most profitable of any cigar tobacco 

 grown in the United States. 



Figure 12. 



This figure represents a plant of Virginia tobacco matur- 

 ing seed. Virginia tobacco has acquired 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 vari- 

 ous colors, from a rich brown mahogany, cinnamon, to a 

 fine golden yellow. 



The finest quality of Virginia tobacco comes from the 



