Tobacco 



211 



with great care in Cuba. The outer wrapper of the cigar is also obviously of great importance, 

 and for this purpose the standard of excellence is the Sumatra leaf, so largely cultivated in 

 the Dutch East Indies, and also in the United States. It is desirable that the wrapper leaf 

 should be as free from flavour as possible, since it comes into actual contact with the lips and 

 tongue of the smoker, but it must possess a light and uniform colour, be thin and elastic in 

 texture, and the veins of the leaf must be small and comparatively inconspicuous. The 

 burning qualities of a tobacco are also of great importance. It must burn readily and yet 







THE INTERIOR OF A CURING BARN 



evenly, quietly and completely so that no half-burnt "char" is left, and if the tobacco is 

 intended for cigars the ash must be white and of sufficient tenacity to prevent it breaking 

 readily and spoiling the clothes of the smoker. 



A chewing tobacco must possess qualities which would render it quite unsuitable for the 

 purposes of pipe or cigarette smoking. It must be very rich in flavour, and, what is of almost 

 equal importance, the leaf must be of a high absorptive capacity, for no small part of the 

 high flavour of such tobaccos is produced by the addition of artificial flavouring matters which 

 are added to the leaf in the form of a liquid or extract known to the trade as a " sauce." Another 

 important point in chewing tobacco is its : degree of toughness, for any leaf which would readily 

 break or powder while being masticated would obviously be of little value ; closely connected 

 with the toughness is the degree of " gumminess " which is so much sought after for this 

 class of tobaccos. It^should be noted that this last-mentioned property is one which must 



