56 TOBACCO : ITS HISTOEY. 



upon a large number of leaves pressed together 

 in the form of a cake. The cake, as hard as a 

 board, but clammy and wet, is laid upon the 

 bed of the cutting-engine, worked by steam. 

 This bed is susceptible of a slow progressive 

 motion by means of a screw beneath it, the screw 

 being connected at one end with a cog-wheel, in 

 such a manner that, while the machine is work- 

 ing, the bed on which the tobacco is laid is urged 

 slowly forward. Another part of the mechanism 

 gives motion to a sharp blade, which has a recipro- 

 cating vertical motion, or rather a motion somewhat 

 similar to that of a pair of nut-crackers, as there is 

 a hinge or fulcrum at one end. Each action of 

 the cutting-blade slices off a thin film from one end 

 of the cake. As the cake is composed of a very 

 large number of separate leaves of tobacco, it 

 follows that each film or shaving taken from the 

 edge, generally at right angles to the surface of 

 the leaves, must be formed of separate pieces, in 

 no case larger than filaments or fibres. The 

 thickness of these fibres is regulated in a very 

 ingenious manner. Immediately after the blade 

 or knife has made one cut, the cake is moved 



