No. 4.] THE TOBACCO TKADE. 1(31 



afterward. Colors change unequally in the sweat. The leaf 

 next to the sides of the case does not sweat in the same 

 degree as that further in, so that cigar manufacturers often 

 must res weat this outside leaf, — a thing which adds to the 

 cost. The tobacco is, to be sure, sized according to length ; 

 but any one who studies his crop carefully in the field knows 

 that even in his own crop the width and shape and style of 

 leaf vary a good deal, even when the length is the same ; and 

 comparison of the crops of different growers emphasizes these 

 diflerences. Where several small crops must go to make a 

 packing, no care on the part of the packer can avoid this 

 lack of uniformity in shape and size of leaf. 



With Smnatra and also with Florida leaf the case is quite 

 different. In the iSrst place, these tobaccos are sorted after 

 sweating, not before. The colors are fixed then, and as they 

 are when they leave the sorting table, so they are when they 

 reach the cigar maker's table. For the same reason, there 

 is no resweating to be done ; all of each leaf from tip to 

 butt and all the leaves are evenly sweated. Here is a saving 

 of labor, and so of expense to the manufacturer. There is 

 no resweating, and very much less of picking and choosing 

 of colors to be done in sortins; for boxing: the cifjars. 



Then, as to sizes and shapes of leaf. The Florida, and 

 of course the Smnatra leaf, is very much smaller than our 

 northern-grown wrappers ; and, while each may be equally 

 well sorted as to length, the inecjualities of Avidth and of 

 general shape are very much less in the former than in ours. 

 This evenness of shape greatlj^ lessens the labor and skill 

 needed in manufacture, and so lessens cost of production. 



In the third place, on account of its small size the Florida 

 leaf is, in the language of the cigar maker, " more profita- 

 ble," — that is, it cuts to little waste. Take out the four 

 wrappers from a Sumatra type of leaf, and there is little left 

 but the stem and a few rags of leaf. On the other hand, 

 cut four wrajipers from a big Havana or Seed-leaf, and 3^011 

 have left perhaps two inferior wra})pers, or a few binders 

 and a large amount of waste leaf for which you paid 50 to 

 70 cents a pound, to use as filler if you Avill, or to sell again 

 for from 10 to 20 cents a pound. You have, in other words, 



