facture of cigars was established at Hamburg 
in 1796. The custom did not spread rapidly 
and did not reach any considerable proportion 
in England till about 1830 when the high duties 
were considerably reduced. 
Cigar making has always been a staple in- 
dustry in Cuba. It was there when the Euro- 
peans landed and it is there still. Its record is 
unbroken. There was always a greater or lesser 
exportation to Europe and elsewhere. 
THE CIGAR BUSINESS OF THE U. S. 
Of the various manufactured products of 
tobacco leaf, the cigar trade is the most im- 
portant in the U. S., its value being greater 
than that of all other tobacco products com- 
bined. ad 
The magnitude of this branch of the tobacco 
business may be gauged when we state that at . 
the present time there are made annually in 
the U. S. cigars of all kinds to the amount of 
about 81% billions. The Census Bureau Report 
for 1912 shows that for that. year the number 
of full-sized cigars made and on which tax was 
paid was in round numbers 7,500,000,000, and 
of “little cigars,” that is under the regular size, 
about 1,000,000,000. These figures are cer- 
tainly stupendous, particularly when we con- 
sider that, in addition, at least several hundred 
96 
