500 TOBACCO 



of twigs and leaves of tea, pressed with some glutinous substance, 

 and dried in moulds; the other kind is essentially the liner sif tings 

 and dust of ordinary tea compressed into slabs; this latter is 

 consumed chiefly in Russia. 



Leppet or Leptet Tea. A form of tea prepared only in Burma 

 and the Shan States, where it is used as a vegetable rather than a 

 beverage. It consists of tea leaves preserved on the principle of 

 a silo, these being afterwards eaten mixed with garlic, salt, oil and 

 other ingredients. 



Soluble Tea. A process has in recent years been invented 

 by MR. KELWAY BAMBER, the Ceylon Government Chemist, by 

 which the essence of tea is extracted and rendered available in a 

 concentrated soluble fine powder form, known as soluble tea. 



Arabian Tea. } 



Ayapana Tea. > See Chapter XXIV. 



Paraguay Tea, or Mate. J 



Tobacco; Dhoom-kola, S; Poyile, 7. The dried cured leaves 

 of Nice liana Tabaccum and N. rustica (or varieties of these), both 

 of South American origin, may be said to constitute the tobacco of 

 commerce. The cultivated tobacco plant is an erect annual, 4 to 

 6 ft. or more in height, bearing large lanceolate alternate leaves, 

 and characterized by viscous glandular hairs. The principal 

 tobacco-growing countries are Cuba, Sumatra, South America, 

 Philippines, Borneo, India, Turkey, and South Africa. Tobacco- 

 growing forms a local industry in the North of Ceylon, the produce 

 being largely used for chewing with betel and for making inferior 

 cheroots, being also exported to a limited extent to South India. 

 Nearly 4 4 million pounds have been exported from Ceylon in 1913. 

 The best soil for tobacco is considered to be alluvial or light sandy 

 loam, rich in potash, lime and humus ; clayey or calcareous soil 

 is unsuitable. A hot humid climate favours the growth and the 

 development of the special properties of the plant, but a dry season 

 must be relied upon for harvesting. Tobacco is a very exhausting. 

 crop, so that manuring is essential. Cattle or other organic manure 

 when obtainable is considered by some to be the best, at least for 

 certain forms of manufacture, while for other forms it is said to be 

 injurious. The crop is an annual one, the plants being raised from 

 seed* (which is small and should be sown under cover), and 

 planted out in the field at intervals of about 2 ft. in rows, the 

 latter being 4 ft. apart. The young tender plants must be shaded 



* 1 oz. contains about 875,000 seeds. 



