228 TOBACCO. 



of considerable importance witli a well-earned and old- 

 establislied reputation for fine goods. 



" Tlie quality of tobacco, like other agricultural produce, 

 depends on seasons, soil, and many natural causes, which 

 may baffle the most careful cultivator. 



" There are good and bad years ; abundant and scanty 

 crops in succession. 



" Except in the case of the few rich owners of plantations 

 in the best districts, brands and names are no guarantees 

 for a permanently good article. Even these favoured few 

 are exposed to bad seasons, if in a minor degree than less 

 fortunate holders. 



" There has been no really fine-flavoured aromatic leaf 

 harvested since 1881. Much of that since garnered has 

 been simply bad. 



" Great hopes are entertained of the coming 1885 crop, 

 and present indications are in favour of this assumption. 



" The manner in which the wholesale trade is carried on 

 in Havana is incomprehensible to an ordinary outsider, 

 to whom it would appear that the manufacturers prefer a 

 prospective loss abroad to a present and certain gain here. 

 They will only execute orders, large or small, for cash 

 over the counter, giving no, or in some cases the smallest, 

 discount. No manufactured goods are kept in stock, but 

 are made to order after sample, and, unless examined in 

 warehouse before delivery, and that means little, must be 

 paid in full on delivery, and the consequence but too 

 frequently is that, on arrival at their destination, they do 

 not correspond with the sample, and the deluded buyer finds 

 that he has made a bad bargain, and (if an Englishman) 

 discovers that he could have bought the same article 



