320 Transactions of the Canadian Institute. [Vol. VII. 



Tobacco-Leaf " Spot." 



Tobacco leaves, under certain conditions which are as yet but little 

 known, become somewhat mottled or spotted at a certain period in 

 the growth of the plant, and these spots remain throughout the entire 

 process of curing, and come out on the dried leaf to be used for the 

 wrapper of the cigar. It is generally supposed that leaves having 

 these spots are also characterized by their superior flavour and burning 

 qualities, both of which are valued very highly by those who use 

 tobacco. So important has this become in the marketing of the 

 tobacco leaves that "spotting" has been attempted by means of 

 caustic alkalies, such as carbonate of soda, caustic potash and caustic 

 soda. While this artificial spotting may be only an outward imitation 

 of the natural leaf, yet there are many evidences of its affecting the 

 quality of the leaf from the smoker's standpoint, as will be explained 

 later on. Attempts have been made by some of the smaller tobacco 

 dealers to " spot " the tobacco by means of acids and other chemical 

 irritants, thereby producing a leaf in imitation, to some extent, of the 

 Sumatra leaf, and an article which is more saleable, but which doubtless 

 possesses properties which would render it inferior to the leaf of the 

 same tobacco plant which was not spotted. The only spotting under 

 particular examination, however, is that of the natural Sumatra leaf 

 and of that produced by caustic alkalies. 



The real Sumatra leaf when nearly ripe has a peculiar mottled 

 appearance which the leaf retains, more or less, throughout the curing 

 process, and which indicates to the consumer a superior quality. It 

 has been asserted by some who have investigated the cultivation of 

 the Sumatra tobacco that the spot is due to the contact of wood ashes 

 with the leaves during their growth. The plants which produce the 

 best quality of Sumatra cigar wrapper are grown upon recently cleared 

 and burned land. The jungles which contain a large amount of 

 underbrush are made ready for cultivation by fire. The consequence 

 of this is that there is mixed with the top soil a very considerable 

 amount of ash, which, during the course of the summer, is blown by 

 the wind upon the leaves, and which produces certain effects which 

 result in the leaves having this spotted appearance. It is also stated in 

 proof of this, that after two or three years cultivation of this recently 

 cleared land, the tobacco plant does not become spotted to any great 



