1 1 6 The Soverane Herbe 



of 'Arry. China sends a very light-tissued, flavourless 

 tobacco ; it is insipid smoked by itself, and is chiefly 

 used to give a bright tint to smoking-mixtures. 

 Sumatra and Indian tobacco is used for cigars ; 

 the former leaves are exported carefully folded to 

 prevent evaporation. Borneo tobacco is steadily 

 gaining ground. 



The famous Latakia comes from Syria; its place 

 of origin is the Laodicea mentioned by John in the 

 Apocalypse, Latakia being the modern form of the 

 name. It is an ugly, dark tobacco, the leaves being 

 strung and plastered together, as is all Syrian and 

 Greek tobacco. The peculiar flavour of Latakia is 

 due to its being cured over fires of camel-dung — the 

 common fuel of Arabia. To smoke it unmoderated 

 by a lighter tobacco is equivalent to drinking brandy 

 neat. 



Turkish tobacco is a small leaf, about 4 inches 

 long by I J inches broad. The best Turkish is 

 grown in Salonica. The so-called Egyptian cigarettes 

 are made of imported Turkish, for the cultivation of 

 tobacco in Egypt was prohibited in 1891. 



Very large crops of tobacco are grown in Holland, 

 France and Germany. Holland sends us more 

 tobacco than any other country but the United 

 States. Dutch tobacco is not a poor brand, for it 

 commands a shilling a pound in bond. Large 

 numbers of German cigars are smoked in England. 



Large quantities of tobacco are grown in South 

 Africa, and by its consumers Boer tobacco is held to 

 be superior to all others. It looks like tea, but is 

 palatable, cheap and pure. Once smoked, the smoker 



