LATAKIA TOBACCO. 363 



eame seed. Latakia tobacco is not sweated like most tobacco, 

 but is first cured in the sun and then hung up in the peasants' 

 huts to cure until ready for market. The plants ripen very 

 fast and emit an aromatic odor, increasing in strength as the 

 plants ripen. For smoking it has but few superiors. After 

 curing, it is baled and sent to Europe, where it is manu- 



TOBACCO FIELD IN SYRIA. 



f actured into smoking tobacco. The plants are well cultivated 

 and watched against the ravages of birds, which seem to like 

 the young and tender plants especially before they are trans- 

 planted. From the nature of the soil the plants are watered 

 frequently, and when the leaves are about the size of a large 

 cabbage leaf are ready to harvest. As the plants ripen 

 the leaves gradually thicken and take on a lighter shade ; 

 the leaf when green is very thick, but after curing is quite 

 thin and of a bright yellow or brown, according to the pro- 

 cess empldyed in curing. The peasants take equal pains in 

 its fumigation, using various kinds of wood according to the 

 color of leaf they wish to obtain. They usually make two 

 kinds of leaf, the finest being colored brown and known by 

 the name of dbowri. The tobacco is fumigated with two 

 kinds of wood, gosen (pine wood) and sindian (oak), the 

 tobacco fumigated with gozen having the best smell. The 

 fumigation, however, is said not to be resorted to expressly 



