ic June, 191 i.] Ti'ha:^' Culture. 393 



may be purchased for 5s. t-.nh ami toV'acco carefully packed in them can be 

 sent to any part of the world without injury. 



A lever press is not suited to the cask system, a screw or steam press 

 being best for the purpose. The casks should of course be branded, as 

 the bales are, with weight of tare in addition. 



Heavy dark leaf will stand more pressure than bright, and very heavy 

 pressing will have the effect of making bright leaf darker in colour, a 

 result to be avoided. 



Cigar leaf is usually packed in bales of jute or hessian, containing 

 from 100 lbs. to 300 lbs., anrl sometimes in s(]uare boxes holding similar 

 quantities. When it is intended to age cigar leaf, that is, to pack it 

 away for twelve months or more, the box system is best. It is l^etter not 

 to have the box too closely built, so to allow of the easy escape of the 

 gases which are thrown off during the process. 



All tobacco is better for being aged and is said to improve in quality 

 for six years, becoming milder and sweeter. After the sixth year deteriora- 

 tion takes place, especially in tht- lighter types of leaf. 



In Victoria, \ery little tobacco is held by the growers for the purpose of 

 ageing. The manufacturer, as a rule, buys from 12 to 24 months ahead of 

 requirements. If it is found necessary to store, the tobacco must be kept 

 under dry conditions, that i-^. well off the floor, and in a dark place for 

 preference. 



Freights on tobacco art- low in proportion to its value per ton, conse- 

 quently it is a suitable crop for land owners situated at long distances from 

 a market. 



Marketing. 



A few hint,-, on marketing lobacco leaf are. perhaps, necessary. In 

 one case, the writer found that a grower, who had been cultivating tobacco 

 for three years, had decided to abandon the crop as unprofitable on account 

 of its being unsaleable. He had tried to .sell his leaf to plug manufac- 

 turers, whereas he had been growing a fair sample of cigar tol)acco. When 

 properly placed, he received a cheque for nearly ;^20o for his product. 

 Cigar leaf is of no use to plug men. and plug tobacco of little or no u.se 

 to cigar men. 



There is a good demand for Victorian plug leaf in Melh)Ourne. Sydney. 

 Adelaide, and Western Australia. In 19 10. Victoria manufadured alx>ut 

 4,698,995 lbs. of i)lug tf)bacco. 220.000 lbs. of cigar leaf, and 306.000 lbs. 

 of cigarette leaf, while only 309,000 ll)s. of local leaf were prtxluced. 

 Local buyers are anxious to obtain larger .supplies of the Victorian j)roduct, 

 one Melbourne company alone l»eing j^repareil to take 500 tons anniuilly. 



There need be no hesitation, therefore, in regard to the prospect of a 

 demand for our leaf for some years to come. N'ot only is there ample 

 room for expansion of the industry, .so far as our home market is con- 

 cerned, but even should we over-produce, there is a practically unlimited 

 mnrket in Lomlon for leaf of fair quality. 



Values have been increasing steadily of late years, chieflv owing to the 

 fact that the production of toliacco all over the world is not keeping paro 

 with the increa.se in consumption. It was estimated recently in .AmiTica 

 that supplies had fallen 20 per «ent. behind the demand. Manufacturers, 

 both in England and America, complain that, owing to the short su|>plies. 

 it is not possible to age the tobacco to the same extent as fc>rnierlv. The 

 prospect in a new count rv for a toliacco iiulustry is therefore eiiiotiraging. 



It must alwnys be lM>rne in mind, however, that |X)pul.\r tastes for 

 tobacco incliur to lighter tvpes ili.m |ire\i<>uslv ; and, in ord> r to obtain 



(5?,S{l. !• 



