Cigar-Tobacco Investigations. 427 



OIGAR-TOBACCO INVESTIGATIONS. 



Bj W. H. ScHERFFius, M.Sc, Chief, Division of 

 Tobacco and Cotton. 



During my visit to the United States in 1919, I inspected the planta- 

 tions, curing sheds, and warehouses of the American Sumatra 

 Tobacco Company, Quincey, Florida. This company is making 

 splendid progress in the production of cigar wrapper tobacco. Their 

 methods are of the most progressive to be found anywhere. They have 

 hundreds of acres of tobacco, all grown under cheese-cloth or lattice, 

 and in some cases both cheese-cloth and lattice are used. The tobacco 

 grown in this manner is used to cover high-class cigars. It is 

 interesting to note that they commence harvesting the leaves when the 

 first flowers appear. The flower-heads are broken out, but the suckers 

 are not removed. The harvesting is complete three weeks after the 

 plants are topped. The curing process is preferably a slow one, 

 consisting of a slight drying during the day and absorbing some 

 moisture during the night. When the leaves are thoroughly cured 

 they are taken off the laths, packed in cases, and sent to the packing 

 or rehandling warehouse. The tobacco remains in the cases for weeks, 

 till the manager is ready to ferment it, when it is taken out of the. 

 cases and put into large bulks ; if necessary, moisture is added to 

 start fermentation. The temperature is raised to about 118-120° F. 

 If the temperature begins to rise or fall before five or six days, the 

 stack is pull«ed down and rebuilt. Stacks are usually pulled down 

 and rebuilt three or four times ; then the tobacco is put back in the 

 cases to await sorting, grading, retieing, and rebulking in bale lots, 

 one on top of the other. Here the process of fermentation is 

 completed, and the tobacco is again put in the cases to hold its 

 moisture till it can be made into bales. The bales are covered with 

 Indian fibre and hessian, and the parcel is crated ready for shipping. 

 The weight of the parcel is net 180 lb., gross 188 lb. The cost of 

 producing an acre of this tobacco, approximately 1150 lb., is about 

 1600.00 or a-bout 60 cents per lb. A good crop will give about 40 

 per cent, first-grade stuff. 



Santiago de Las Vegas. 



The methods employed in Cuba differ in many respects to those 

 in Arnerica, but the underlying principles are the same. I visited the 

 experiment station at Santiago, and saw their methods of preparing 

 seed-beds, which are sterilized with steam, instead of the usual 

 practices. Their soil is very similar in appearance fo much of our 

 red sandy and clay loam soils. My attention was called to the fact 

 that many of their tobacco lands were surrounded and interlaced 

 with palm trees or banana bushes. The seedlings are transplanted 

 when they are about 8 inches long. The plants are topped, but not 



