CULTIVATION. 33 



that have less of the marked specific characters, yield 

 tolerably fine leaves for cigars. As the price of this 

 tobacco is rather low, it is not so well suited for export. 

 Hungarian tobacco is considered to be very hardy, but 

 is less valuable than the foregoing. The leaves are 

 generally small, and possess a peculiar aroma. 



A high price is generally commanded, irrespective of 

 the species, by those tobaccos that possess a large, smooth, 

 thin, elastic leaf, possessing a fine golden colour and a 

 good aroma ; the ribs and veins should be thin, and the 

 former should branch off from the midrib at nearly 

 right angles, and should be far apart from each other. 

 The lower the percentage of the weight in ribs, the 

 thinner and broader the leaf, and the fewer the leaves 

 torn, the more wrappers can be cut out of 1 lb. of tobacco, 

 other conditions being equal, and consequently the higher 

 is the price of the article. The cigar-manufacturer often 

 does not appreciate the aroma so much as the other 

 qualities. He can do nothing to improve the botanical 

 characters : the finest aromatic leaf would be of little 

 value to him if it were torn ; but he is to a certain extent 

 able artificially to improve defects in flavour. Of all 

 kinds, Maryland is considered to possess the qualities 

 that distinguish a good tobacco in the highest degree. 

 Some of the Havanna tobaccos belong to this sort, as 

 also the Ohio, Amersfort, Turkish, and Dutten tobaccos. 

 Its cultivation assumes larger proportions every year, 

 and the number of varieties and sub-varieties increases 

 accordingly. Perhaps the finest wrappers for cigars are 

 grown in Manilla. 



On this subject, Judson Popenoe remarks that he has 



