154 TOBACCO 



It is the kind which is cultivated in Turkey and Syria from 

 which the famous Latakia tobacco is made. Its peculiar 

 flavour is due to the fact that the leaves are fumigated for 

 four or five months, so that the natural flavour is disguised. 

 Nicotiana persica grows in Persia and produces the mild 

 Shiraz tobacco. It is a small plant with a pretty white 

 flower. The one which grows in our gardens is Nicotiana 

 finis. 



In the Empire, though India (Bombay, Madras, and the 

 Punjab) is the chief tobacco-growing country, our imports 

 from her used to be small, as the native method of curing 

 does not suit our tastes. There are, however, some European 

 factories, and our Indian imports have increased during the 

 last few years. 



Nyasaland grows good tobacco, especially in the Shire 

 Highlands, and our imports from Nyasaland used to be 

 greater than from any other British country, but recently 

 North Borneo has come to the front, and in 1917 our imports 

 from these two countries were almost equal in amount. 



Rhodesia, too, has a soil and climate very suitable for 

 tobacco, and our imports from here used to be considerable, 

 but of late years maize has to a certain extent ousted tobacco. 



In the Union of South Africa tobacco is grown (especially 

 in the rich limestone district of Oudtshorn) and in the Trans- 

 vaal as well as in Natal, and there seems no reason why the 

 quantity grown should not be much greater than it is, but at 

 present our imports from these countries are small. 



Cyprus has a suitable soil and climate, and our imports 

 from here show a considerable increase. The difficulty 

 against which growers have to contend is the lack of care and 

 diligence on the part of the labourers. 



In the West Indies, especially in Jamaica, the production 

 of tobacco is increasing. 



SUMMARY. In 1913 our imports of unmanufactured 

 tobacco amounted to 162 million pounds, of which 2 million 

 were from British countries. In 1917 our imports had fallen 



