170 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



touch us, we must not do anything for them. That is the 

 trouble with this nation, and especially with the farmers of 

 this nation. If a question does not touch our own pockets 

 we are not interested in it. 



Mr. Fowler of Westfield. We are interested in this 

 question for the very reason that it does touch our own pock- 

 ets ; and this Sumatra tobacco, under the present aspect of 

 the matter, certainly does touch our pockets, because we have 

 not got the goods to put against it, and for no other reason. 

 In ray own town there are quite a number of manufacturers 

 of cigars. In looking that town through during the past 

 week I found but one factory where they were using Sumatra 

 tobacco. They had all tried it and did not want to try any 

 more. The fact is, it costs about seven dollars a thousand 

 to wrap cigars with Sumatra tobacco, and fifteen pounds of 

 fair quality of Havana seed will wrap a thousand cigars. 

 That comes pretty near forty cents a pound. If we can 

 raise the goods for the manufacturers, they do not want Su- 

 matra tobacco, for this simple reason : it is good for nothing 

 except to look at. They can use nothing except the wrapper, 

 which is very tine indeed. The cuttings are thrown away — 

 go in with the stems ; they are good for nothing except for 

 fertilizing purposes. The manufacturers do not want to use 

 this Sumatra tobacco. Some of them are ready to sign a 

 petition to have a duty placed on it of one dollar a pound ; 

 some of them say they do not care anything about it, but if 

 the smokers demand a dark, handsome cigar, we have got to 

 make it for them. We shall have to make it if they call for 

 it, but we hope they will not call for it. Sumatra tobacco is 

 not invariably good. It runs as our tobaccos do — some 

 good, some bad, some indifferent ; and it is as difficult to get a 

 good case of Sumatra tobacco, as it is to get a good case of 

 Havana seed. These facts I gather from the manufacturers 

 in our place, and it seems to me, before we jump in too fast 

 or too far, we ought to know what we are doing and what 

 the effect will be. I believe in the statement that we need 

 protection in some things. We do not propose to protect 

 ourselves against any parties living in the United States, that 

 I know of, but I do think, that as long as German and other 

 foreign governments are placing restrictive duties upon the 



