236 TOBACCO. 



manufacturer. With drying, the preparation of cut 

 tobacco for smoking in pipes is completed. 



Cake or Plug. The manufacture of " cake " or " plug " 

 is little carried on in this country, as the Excise laws ex- 

 clude the use of sweetening matters, except when carried 

 on in bond. The process is sufficiently simple. Virginian 

 leaf, with or without the addition of flavourings, is 

 sweated for a day or two, to deepen the colour, worked 

 into a soft mass, and next placed in moulds, and subjected 

 to sufficient pressure to ensure the cohesion of the mass. 

 Each cake is then separately wrapped in perfect leaf, and 

 passes through a series of moulds, each smaller than the 

 last, and under increasing pressure in steam-jacketed cup- 

 board-presses, of which there are many forms. The com- 

 bined effect of the heat and pressure is to thoroughly im- 

 pregnate the whole mass with the natural juices of the 

 leaf and the flavouring (if any has been used), and to pro- 

 duce a rich dark colour. 



A machine for turning out plug-tobacco in ribbons, 

 made by the McGowan Pump Co., New York, is shown 

 in Fig. 18. The tobacco is first weighed out in the 

 proper quantities, and spread in a box placed in spaces in 

 a heavy iron table a. When the latter is filled, it is 

 passed to and fro under the heavy iron wheels b, which 

 are loose on the shaft, and which can be adjusted to exert 

 any desired pressure. Twice passing through suffices. 

 The ribbon is made in lengths of 10 feet, and either 5| 

 inches or 2| inches wide, as desired. 



Roll or Twist. Eoll- or twist-tobacco is made by spin- 

 ning the leaf into a rope, and then subjecting it to hot 

 pressure. Until recently, the spinning was performed by 



