CHEMICAL ANALYSES OF TOBACCO. 271 



ABSORPTIVE CAPACITIES OF CERTAIN VARIETIES OF AMERICAN TOBACCO. 



The capacity of leaf tobacco to absorb and retain different flavoring substances added in the form of " sauces " 

 is a matter of great importance to the manufacturer, and especially to the foreign importer of American tobaccos. 

 In the following table I have given the coefficients of absorption- of some of the principal varieties used for the 

 manufacture of chewing tobacco. These coefficients give the amount of water which each type will absorb and retain 

 without dripping, expressed in multiples of the weight of the air-dried leaf; they do not, of course, represent the 

 actual amount of water that a giveu sample will absorb and retain when subjected to the usual operations of 

 manufacture. It may be safely assumed, however, that the results obtained .in practice will stand to each other iu 

 a relation that will not vary greatly from that indicated by the theoretical coefficients of absorption, and the latter 

 may, therefore, serve as a sufficient basis for classification and comparison. 



The coefficients of absorption were determined as follows: The air-dried leaf was carefully weighed, moistened 

 with water until it had become pliable, then loosely coiled on the bottom of a beaker and water enough added to 

 completely cover it. The whole was then left at rest for 48 hours. The leaf was then taken out, suspended over 

 the beaker until it had ceased to drip, and weighed. The liquid in the beaker was then evaporated to dryness OM 

 the water-bath, the residual extract dried at 100 C., and weighed. The coefficient of absorption was determined 

 from these data by the equation 



a+b c 



c 



wherein a is the weight of the wet leaf, b the weight of the dry extract, c the weight of the dry leaf, and x tke 

 <x>efficient of absorption. The results were as follows, viz: 



Coefficient of 

 absorption. 



German, low grade (Virginia) .......................................................................... 2.88 



North Carolina bright wrapper .......................................................................... 2.77 



North Carolina Yellow ($(35) ............................................................................. 2.65 



Owen county, Kentucky, cutting leaf .................................................................... 2.60 



Owen county, Kentucky, plug fillers .................................................................. ... 2.55 



Hart county, Kentucky, bright wrapper ...................................................... ... ........ 2.54 



North Carolina Yellow ($50) ............................................................................ 2.39 



Ballard county, Kentucky, bright wrapper ....................... . .............................. .... _____ 2.27 



Mason county, Kentucky, cutting or plug ................................................................ 2.21 



R6gie Virginia Shipper ................................... . .............................................. 2. 14 



German Saucer ........................................................................ . ................ 2.07 



Mexican Baler ..... ' ..................................................................... . .............. 2.04 



Virginia nun-cured for ping .......................................................................... .... 2.02 



English Shipper (Virginia) .............................................................................. 1.95 



West Tennessee Stemmer ....................................................................... . ........ 1. 92 



Virginia (heavily manured) .......................... . .......................................... ... ..... 1.92 



Florida Seed-Leaf ................................................... . ................................... 1.79 



Porique, air-cured ............................... ........................................................ 1.74 



Ohio Seed-Leaf ............................. , ........................................................... 1.73 



Sweet-scented Wisconsin and Illinois .................................................... . ............... 1.67 



Clarksville, Tennessee, German ......................................................................... 1.48 



Virginia French Rgie, A ................................................................................ 1.41 



Virginia German Shipper ................................................................................ 1.12 



VARIATIONS IN THE COMPOSITION OF TOBACCOS REFERABLE TO CAUSES ATTENDING THE 



GROWTH OF THE PLANT. 



These are of twofold character, being due in the first place to peculiarities of climate and soil, and secondly 

 "to the special methods of cultivation employed. 



Concerning the immediate effects of climate, but little is known. It would appear, from the observations of 

 Nessler, already cited, that the tobaccos of the tropics are richer in resinous substances, while those of the north in 

 some cases contain a larger proportion of fat. It would also appear, from the existing analyses, that the northern 

 tobaccos arc generally richer in nicotine than those of southern climates. Nevertheless, in default of analyses of 

 the fresh tropical tobaccos, it is impossible to say that this difference may not be chiefly due to fermentative change, 

 attended with loss of nicotine by volatilization. 



The effects of the character of the soil on the quality of the product have been much better studied. Thus 

 the seed-leaf tobaccos of New England, which are specially prized on account of their fine texture, combined with 

 strength and elasticity, and the entire absence of distinctive flavor, which might interfere with that of the cigar 

 filling with which they are used as wrappers, are stated by Professor S. \Y. Johnson, in his admirable report on 

 tobacco (Annual Report of the Secretary of the Connecticut State Board of Agriculture, 1873, p. 384), to be produced 

 only on light, sandy lauds, and he adds that "if upon these very heavy crops are obtained by extra manuring, the 



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