Tobacco 



209 



above, is derived from A 7 , persica, but botanists are now inclined to regard this so-called species 



as a mere variety of A 7 . Tabaciim, and so we must accredit this latter -plant with one more 



famous tobacco. 



■ 

 The Commercial Classification of Tobacco 



In spite of the interest which attaches to a knowledge of the botanical origin of thejjrincipal 

 types of tobacco, the fact remains that such a knowledge | is of little use to the tobacco 

 manufacturer, for the number of varieties and form, of the chief species is so great that it is 

 a matter of the greatest difficulty to trace any particular grade to its botanical. origin ; and 

 further, the very same variety of tobacco grown on the same plantation for two consecutive 

 seasons may produce a leaf which is adapted for entirely different purposes. In the first'ycar 

 the variety may yield comparatively thin and dry leaves, which are only useful for cigarettes ; 

 while, in the next season, the same variety will produce a heavy leaf suitable for the " wrappers " 

 of plug tobacco. The same plant will also produce several different classes of leaf ;* thus the 

 upper leaves will afford a cheap variety of pipe tobacco, the middle leaves a plug' wrapper, 

 and the lower leaves a good quality of smoking tobacco. 



For this reason the tobacco dealer disregards all botanical and cultural classifications when 

 dealing with the prepared leaf, and adopts a system of his own. Tobaccos are first of all 

 divided into " classes," a " class " signifying the purpose for which the product is finally 

 intended. Thus, we have the pipe, cigar, chewing, and- cigarette classes, and these are again 

 subdivided into various "types," a classification depending on the combination of certain 

 qualifications of the leaf such as colour, flavour, elasticity, and strength, or on certain charac- 

 teristics produced by the different methods of curing the leaf, e.g., air-cured or sun-cured. 

 We then have a further subdivision into " grades," which are almost endless in variety, 

 depending upon the different degrees of size, aroma, texture, possessed by the leaf. 



When we are told that it is possible to grade a parcel of Sumatra tobacco from the same 

 field into no fewer than seventy-two grades, it will be realised that such a classification 



SUMATRA. CHINESE COOLIES BRINGING IN THE LEAF FOR INSPECTION 



15— C.P. 



