1 82 The Soverane Herbe 



on the sandy-soiled, low-lying margins of rivers, or 

 in low, moist localities. In the moist, rich soil and 

 hot climate the tobacco plant attains the greatest 

 perfection. Few of the farms are of more than 

 loo acres, half of which is devoted to the production 

 of food and half to tobacco culture ; the actual area 

 of the vega is rarely more than 33 acres. 



The cultivation of the plants is similar to that 

 described in a previous chapter. The seedlings are 

 planted out in October, and with this commences the 

 season of anxiety for the veguero, or tobacco farmer. 

 His great enemies are the insects. Early every morn- 

 ing all hands turn out to seek and destroy marauding 

 insects, each plant undergoing careful search. A 

 single caterpillar overlooked means the loss of several 

 leaves. The enemies are of three classes — the 

 vivyagua, a huge white ant, attacks the root and 

 destroys the sap, the cachaga infests the leaves, and 

 the rosqiiilla the buds. All these must be picked off 

 by hand. The morning searches are followed by one 

 in the evening, and strange and beautiful it is to see 

 the Cuban landscape illuminated by the safety-lamps, 

 fastened to the hats or shirts of the men searching for 

 the raiding insects, moving up and down the fields of 

 the vega. 



The plant grows to the height of 6 or 9 feet. 

 The young leaves are of a cool, dark-green colour, 

 and when matured and ripened of a greeny yellow. 

 The fewer the leaves allowed to grow, the stronger the 

 tobacco ; from eight to twelve leaves only are per- 

 mitted to mature on each plant, on the principle 

 already explained in connection with American cul- 



