6o6 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria.- [ii Sept., 1911. 



TOBACCO CULTURE. 



{Coiitijiucd from page 544). 



T. A. J. SiuitJi, Tobacco Expert. 



Types of Tobacco for Market. 



In Victoria, at the present time, there are comparatively few types of 

 either pipe or cigar tobacco produced ; but, as new districts are proved 

 suitable for the growth of tobacco, further types, that will be peculiar to 

 themselves in certain characteristics and have a value of their own for 

 purposes such as wrapper leaf, flavour, or special suitability for some par- 

 ticular purpose, are likely to be found. Different soils and climates pro- 

 duce different types of tobacco; and, as with wines, districts become re- 

 nowned for their type. 



The term " type " must not be confused with the class or grade. Type 

 means a tobacco with a combination of qualities such as colour, body, 

 flavour, strength and stretch, or a tobacco cured by a particular method, 

 such as flue-cured, sun-cured, or air-cured. " Class " means that it may 

 be of value for .smoking, chewing or snuff; while "grade" means thf 

 different degrees of quality in each type or class such as firsts, seconds 

 and thirds, up to twelve. The tobacco industry in this State produces 

 only three types of plug and cigar leaf, but others will come as the crop 

 is established in new districts, provided that the right varieties are grown, 

 and treatments adopted to suit the prevailing conditions. • As each type 

 gets a reputation for being useful for certain purposes its market value 

 increases and becomes of great regularity, thus insuring to the grower a 

 more reliable income. 



The photograph of the " Hester " leaf on page 607 is that of a 

 Victorian-grown sample of a type best suited for plug tobacco ; it is use- 

 ful for plug binder or filler and, if of first class quality, sometimes used 

 for wrapper. It is a good .shaped leaf, with little waste in cutting, and 

 is an easy plant to handle in the field. " Lax " is another class of plug 

 leaf. It is a leaf of lower quality than the Hester, but is a heavy yielder, 

 the leaf being fitted chiefly for plug filler. Both of these varieties do well 

 under varying conditions of soil and climate ; but the qualities will not be 

 the same, which means they are of different class and of many grades. 



In cigar leaf, the buyer is chiefly concerned with the colour, feeling, 

 flavour, texture, combustion and general appearance of the leaf, according 

 to the purpose for which it is required. As in filler leaf, colour or appear- 

 ance is not of so much importance, though texture is of value ; flavour 

 and burn are the main considerations. The bunch-wrapper, that is, the leaf 

 immediately under the cover, requires to be .sound, without holes ; but it 

 must also have strength and stretch sufficient to allow it to expand and 

 contract without breaking under the changes of temperature to which it may 

 be subjected. Flavour is not always a consideration, but is sometimes 

 taken into account as a blend. Appearance is not of great moment. In cover- 

 wrapper leaf, however, appearance is most important. The leaf should 

 have a nice colour and silky appearance and fine texture; it must also 

 have strength and stretch, fine veins, and be able to stand the changes of 

 weather Sumatra leaf is so thin, and yet so strong, in texture, that i lb. 

 will wrap 500 cigars. Flavour is of no great value in cover wrapper, but 

 the burn must be good. 



