THE CULTURE OF TOBACCO. 35 



The colour may vary from a cherry red to dark, the dark types being 

 requii'ed for many purposes. Plenty of oil and of Liody in the leaf is 

 insisted upon. Leaves that are mottled with yellow ai-e used for 

 treating with sauces and flavouring liquors before manufacture. 

 This last type of leaf is called piebald, and in it the fibre must be 

 yellow and the leaf black after treatment. The German " spinner, " 

 used for the manufacture of sti'and, must be of good length, tough, 

 oily, fat, elastic, clear, and heavy. Germany purchases large 

 quantities of tobacco foi' shipment to Russia and Scandinavia, and 

 imports from the United States about 40 million pounds of leaf 

 tobacco a year, as well as buying the bulk of the Brazilian ci'op. 



Great Britain takes many grades verj' similar to those of 

 Germany. Because of the high duty, all tobacco shipped to 

 England is stemmed, and placed in as dry a form as possible 

 before shipment. The very strongest of all the tobaccos, and the 

 one with the highest nicotine content, is used for the manufacture 

 of Na\'}' plug. For the Bird's Eye cutter, the tobacco must be 

 imported in the whole leaf, which must Ije of an even bright coloui- 

 on both sides, smooth and clean, with but little oil or body. The 

 upper and lower sides of the stem vary in colour, and thus give the 

 bird's-eye appearance when cut. Great Britain is Imying more and 

 more of the better grades of tobacco, and is rapidly increasing the 

 consumption of Bright leaf. The standard tobacco, however, is tlie 

 heavily-smoked, slightly olive-coloured leaf. The taste for this 

 creosotic-flavoured toljacco was formed in the earlier days, when it 

 was necessary to have a smoked tobacco, in oider to withstand the 

 ocean voyage. This olive-coloured tobacco is harvested before fully 

 ripe. Great Bi-itain has a market for any tobacco that falls within 

 her standard types, liut is somewhat slow to take up with a new 

 tobacco ; however, there is an excellent market awaiting any new 

 type of cigar leaf that may be produced. America sells to Great 

 Britain nearly a hundred million pounds of leaf each year. 



The Italian leaf should be smooth, silky, of good length, and 

 of a slightl)- lightei- coloui' than the German types. The leaf must 

 also have less fat. The three types lequired vary in length fi'om 

 eighteen to twenty-six inches, and aie used for cigars, cigai-ettes, 

 and snuff. The tobacco is purchased and manufactured by the 

 Government under what is known as the Regie system. 



The Austrian types are firm, tough, elastic, glossy, of uniform 

 red-brown colour, and of good length, and are chiefly manufactured 

 into cigars. 



The Swiss take but little tobacco, but buy the best leaf, and 

 pa\' the highest prices. It is mostly required for cigar wrappers. 



Spain will take any tobacco that is cheap enough. 



Prance, as a rule, buys the poorer grades of tobacco, and is 

 inclined to estimate the value of the leaf rather b.y the length than 

 by other qualities, preferring an over-ripe leaf, which must be from 

 reddish-brown to red in colour, and from eighteen to twenty-five 

 inches in length. The same leaf may have several shades of colour, 

 but must be clear and supple, without nmch elasticity or liody. 



The tobacco intended for North Africa is of medium length, 

 and light or mottled in colour. For the Upper West Coast long, 

 dark and strong ; for- the Lower West Coast long, medium or 

 light in colour, with fine fibres. During the year ending June 30, 

 1902, the LTnited States exported to Africa five and a half million 



