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on there which with certain conditions assured might rapidly 

 expand, especially if such tobacco could be supplied from 

 India. 



651. " Tobacco in Turkey is an Imperial Monopoly and 

 every box of cigarettes exported from Egypt pays a tax. 

 These charges might be saved by making them at Aden 

 which would be a great consideration. In the Nepaul Terai 

 there is a tobacco grown by Tharoo villagers, the leaf of which 

 appears to be identical with what is described as Dubec, a 

 small broad leaf free from heavy midrib and large veinings. 

 This appears to be indigenous to that part of the country, 

 and it might be worth while for those interested to ascertain 

 if it is really identical with the Turkish variety. The 

 enormous consumption of cigarettes can be seen from the 

 statistical returns and that the present supply of the special 

 form of tobacco is much below the demand is evidenced by 

 the largely increasing admixture of other imported tobaccos 

 in what is now sent out of Egypt especially American in 

 fact, Egyptian dealers in offering their wares quote lower 

 rates according to the degree of such admixture in fact, it 

 is now most difficult to get cigarettes made of purely Turkish 

 tobacco. Tobacco grown from the best imported Havannah 

 seed shows a tendency to run into coarse leaf with heavy 

 ribbing. I should think the Nepaul plant where climatic con- 

 ditions are more nearly allied would not be so affected or at 

 least not to the same extent; of course, as mentioned above, 

 it has yet to be proved that it is identical with the Turkish 

 variety and possessing the same qualities." 



European method of curing. ' When the leaves of the 

 tobacco plant are mature and ready for harvest, they are 

 gathered and first laid on the ground to wilt, that is, to wither 

 and lose their brittleness. This done, they are collected into 

 bundles and packed, top upwards, into moderate size heaps 

 to sweat. Matting is placed over the heaps and a gradual 

 rise of temperature begins. The increase in temperature 



