CHAPTER VII 



THE MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO 



Importation of tobacco — In bond — The manufacture — Blending 

 the leaf — ' Substitutes ' — Wetting down —Moisture in tobacco 

 — Stripping — Cutting — Stoving — Shag, birds'-eye, returns — 

 Smoking mixtures — Origin and manufacture — Navy-cut 

 — Hard tobaccos — Twist and roll — Cavendish — Packing 

 tobaccos — Adulteration — Prime cost of tobaccos — Dark v. 

 light — Climate and taste for tobacco. 



There are two classes of tobacco, unmanufactured 

 and manufactured. Until the leaf, cured and dried, 

 has been prepared for smoking — in the form of cigars, 

 cavendish, navy-cut, twist, etc. — it is styled unmanu- 

 factured. Practically all the tobacco smoked in 

 Britain is imported in the leaf and prepared here. 

 The imports of manufactured pipe - tobacco are 

 insignificant, cigars constituting the bulk imported 

 under the heading ' Manufactured.' 



Tobacco can be imported only at such ports in 

 Britain as possess Custom Houses, in vessels of not 

 less than lOO tons burden, and in quantities of not less 

 than 950 pounds as merchandise. Excise officers are 

 empowered to board any vessel carrying tobacco as 

 cargo within twelve miles of the coast, to examine 

 the bill of lading and cargo, and to batten down the 



