The Tobacco Plant 115 



were not cast aside as useless, but cured, the upper 

 side of the leaf turning a golden brown and the 

 under side white, on the stray chance of a sale. It 

 shared the public demand for mild tobaccos, and the 

 plant was grown for what had hitherto been regarded 

 as defects. The cultivation of mild, light tobacco 

 was very profitable to planters. Poor soil and no 

 manuring was needed for its growth ; lightness and 

 mildness were the qualities demanded, and to obtain 

 these it was only necessary to starve the plant and 

 prevent its vigorous and healthy growth. 



Cigars are of course synonymous with Cuba, though 

 all are not by any means Havanas that are cigars. 

 The decay of the sugar industries in the British West 

 Indies has led Jamaica to take up the culture of 

 tobacco, which with climate and soil similar to that 

 of Cuba should do much to restore the island to 

 prosperity. Jamaica cigars are highly praised by 

 some connoisseurs. 



South America grows considerable quantities of 

 tobacco, in Paraguay, Brazil and Venezuela. Kanaster 

 tobacco, the favourite brand two centuries ago, is 

 grown on the Varinas River. It is so called from the 

 k'naster or rush baskets in which it was packed for 

 export. 



Though the smoker is aware that from the 

 American continent he receives two-thirds of his 

 supply of tobacco, he is generally ignorant of the 

 source of the remaining third. Japan is not usually 

 regarded as a tobacco-producing country, but the land 

 of the Mikado grows big, dark leaves, which are largely 

 used for cheap cigars to the delectation and ignorance 



8—2 



