The Manufacture of Tobacco 121 



used as toning and flavouring ingredients, and never 

 smoked au naturel. 



In the parlance of the tobacco trade all tobaccos 

 not of American growth are ' substitutes.' This 

 arose during the Civil War of the United States, 

 when the output was severely checked. Holland, 

 Java, Japan, China and other tobacco - growing 

 countries were called upon to supply the deficiency, 

 and their leaf was used to eke out the American. 

 So firmly established was the American herb as 

 tobacco that other growths were regarded as substi- 

 tutes, and are so called to this day — a name which 

 in lay minds has given rise to erroneous ideas of 

 adulteration, 



' Wetting down ' is the first process of manufacture 

 after the hogshead has been separated into its com- 

 ponent bunches or ' hands ' of leaves. These are taken 

 to a cool cellar to be wetted and thoroughly softened. 

 The workman, with the deftness of long experience, 

 sprinkles them with water, and taking up the leaves 

 in armfuls, throws them in layers in troughs, some- 

 what as hay is tossed to dry. The point of this 

 process is the thorough and even moistening of the 

 leaves so that they may regain their natural softness 

 and elasticity. Skill of no mean order is necessary 

 in this 'wetting down,' some tobaccos absorbing more 

 water than others, while an eye must always be kept 

 on the Revenue restriction of moisture to 30 per cent. 

 The popular idea that in this wetting saltpetre is 

 added to assist combustion is totally erroneous. 



The inherent dampness of tobacco is termed by the 

 trade ' initial moisture ' ; the amount of water added 



