more were imported and that only about 
2,000,000 were exported. Uncle Sam evidently 
likes to smoke cigars. 
To make these cigars requires a consumption 
of 136 million lbs. of cigar leaf. Nearly 50 
million lbs. of this is imported at a gross cost 
(exclusive of duties) of about 35 million dol- 
lars, the rest of the leaf is home grown. 'The 
principal imports are from Cuba. In 1912 we 
imported cigar leaf from Cuba in amount nearly 
23 million lbs. and in 1913 this increased to 
over 27 million lbs. valued at more than 16 
million dollars. The imports of East Indian 
(Sumatran) leaf varies from 6 to 8 million lbs. 
and costs from 7 to 8 million dollars. 
Although the amount of imported leaf used 
in cigar making shows a steady increase, being 
now more than 50% greater than a decade ago, 
yet the proportion of foreign leaf to home- 
grown leaf in the whole manufacture shows a 
steady decrease. This speaks well for the im- 
proving quality of American grown leaf. 
There are in the United States about 26,000 
cigar factories, both large and small. The large 
number of establishments is due to the fact that 
cigar making is still to a large extent a hand- 
making industry. About 135,000 persons arc 
directly employed in the manufacture, nearly 
half of whom are women. The capital engaged 
97 
