Imported Cuban leaf is used both as fillers 

 and wrappers. The U. S. as already stated 

 imports about 26 million Ibs. annually. The 

 leaf varies in length from 8" to 18"; is a rich 

 brown color, and its principal characteristic is 

 its fine flavor and aroma, which is unequalled 

 by any other tobacco in the world. 



The Sumatran leaf is perhaps more import- 

 ant in the U. S. cigar trade than the Cuban 

 leaf. It is used exclusively as wrappers, on 

 account of its fine light brown color, its elastic 

 texture and light weight. The genuine imported 

 leaf is much less in weight than that grown from 

 Sumatran seed in Florida. About 2 Ibs. of 

 imported Sumatran leaf will wrap 1,000 cigars. 

 Its length is usually from 14 to 20 inches and 

 the U. S. imports annually about 7 million Ibs., 

 valued at about 5 million dollars. The use of 

 Sumatran leaf as a wrapper for home-made 

 cigars has increased remarkably in the last 

 quarter century. In the quinquennium ending 

 1885 the number of such cigars was 34 millions. 

 In the last quinquennium the number exceeded 

 2,000 millions. 



The Sumatran leaf has little aroma or flavor 

 and its value is for appearance only. The 

 average prices paid by the United States for 

 imported cigar leaf in 1914 was: for leaf suit- 



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