438 TOBACCO LEAF. 



At Quincy, it has four large warehouses, besides the 

 buildings where the final fermentation and packing is 

 done. The company raises 900 acres of tobacco annu- 

 ally, besides other crops, and packs 2500 bales of tobacco 

 each year. It employs 1200 men in the growing season 

 and 500 men the year through, at an annual payroll of 

 $150,000. Other planters raised about 1000 acres of 

 cigar leaf in the Gadsden section during 1896, making a 

 total of nearly 2000 acres in that region, practically all 

 of which is usually sold by the growers by October. 



The plant of Sumatran seedleaf in bloom (except for 

 its flower) reminds one of the common sunflower rather 

 than of what we are accustomed to in tobacco. Its 

 leaves are of so delicate a nature that after being fer- 

 mented it will take about 200 of them to weigh a pound. 

 Hence the wonderful "wrapping" capacity of this leaf 

 that is, the great number of cigars that can be covered 

 with one pound of Sumatran seedleaf. The 1896 crop 

 of it in Florida was nearly all bought up before election, 

 at 20 to 50 cents per pound for the cured leaf, while it 

 is claimed that selections of Florida-grown Sumatran 

 leaf have sold to cigar manufacturers for $1.50 to $2 per 

 pound, in appearance rivaling as cigar wrappers the 

 finest imported from Sumatra, while in quality (that is, 

 flavor, body, burn, etc.), surpassing the best Sumatran 

 leaf. Unlike the leaf direct from Sumatra, which is so 

 poor in quality as to be unfit for the bulk of the cigar 

 (fillers and binders), this Sumatran seedleaf, when 

 allowed to fully ripen, possesses quality and aroma that 

 make it desirable for fillers, being wholly free from the 

 bitter taste of the imported article. In this respect, it 

 seems to improve after one or two years' domestication. 

 In Florida, it does well on both old and new lands, 

 while in Sumatra tobacco is grown largely on new land. 

 Aside from its hardiness, thrift and quick-growing 

 qualities, and the high price the best leaf commands, 



