MANUFACTURE. 61 



Before grinding, the tobacco is (in France at 

 least) moistened with salted water for the pur- 

 pose of preventing a putrid fermentation, which 

 is liable to set in by over-moistening tobacco — a 

 casualty which I think must often deteriorate the 

 cigars of the London makers. A rotten " filler" 

 inserted in the " bunch-wrapper " is an abomina- 

 tion often to be detected under the most showy 

 " outside." 



This salt and water is called the " cure " or 

 " sauce." Formerly nothing else was used (in 

 France at least), but at the present day (in 

 France at least) other substances are used to 

 give flavour, such as sal ammoniac. Each ma- 

 nufacturer has his own recipe for the " sauce." 

 " The result is sometimes a very agreeable snuff, 

 but sometimes very unwholesome." * 



The material, varying in quantity for a single 

 batch of any sort of snuff from 2 cwt. to 30,000 

 lbs., is first spread on the floor, when it is copiously 

 sprinkled with the sauce or cure, in which about 

 2 per cent, of salt should form the principal 



* Joubert, ubi supra. 



