PERIQUE TOBACCO. 375 



tion, while partly due to these acids, would indicate the 

 presence of substances similar to the volatile oil ob- 

 tained by Liebig, during the fermentation of malic 

 acid. The Perique tobacco," he says, "contains but 

 little over one-fourth of the citric acid, but one-half of 

 the nitric acid, and about six times the amount of acetic 

 acid contained in the air-cu red-leaf. " There was a total 

 absence of nitric acid in the Perique cured in its juices, 

 but it was present in the air-cured sample. 



The robe, or wrapper, leaves are the highest grade 

 of product. They constitute 10 per cent of the usual 

 crop. The next grade is good leaf, which forms the 

 fillers for chewing tobacco. This grade usually forms 

 one-half the crop. Smokers, or the lowest grade, are 

 made of the lower leaves of the plant, and constitute 40 



FIG. 111. CAROTTE OF PERIQUE TOBACCO. 



per cent of the crop ordinarily. All these grades are 

 kept in separate twists. 



After the tobacco has been properly assorted and 

 cured, it is put into cylindrical rolls called carottes, each 

 carotte usually containing four pounds of tobacco, but 

 sometimes carottes weighing one pound are put up for 

 local demand. To put up a carotte, the tobacco is taken 

 from under pressure, each leaf opened, straightened and 

 aired. A cotton cloth, 24x18 inches, is laid upon a 

 table and covered with robe or wrapper leaves, the 

 under surface of the leaf being turned uppermost. The 

 fibers of the leaves are so arranged as to point to the 

 middle longitudinal line of the cloth. A layer of filler 

 leaves, one-half inch in thickness, is placed on the wrap- 

 per leaves, extending to within one inch of the edge of the 



