200 The Soverane Herbe 



The machines work on two principles : in those of 

 one class an endless roll of tobacco is enveloped by 

 an endless ribbon of paper, and chopped up into 

 cigarettes of the required length ; other machines 

 roll the tobacco separately, and press it into its paper 

 case. The former are the faster makers, but they turn 

 out also a larger proportion of faulty cigarettes. 



The great majority of cigarettes now smoked are 

 made of bright Virginia, the mildest tobacco on the 

 market. It is cut in a manner similar to that for 

 flake and cut pipe-tobacco, but more finely. Various 

 essential oils are added to most blends of cigarette 

 tobacco. The flavourings include rose, geranium, 

 vanilla bean. Tonka bean, and liquorice, the solution 

 being sprayed on the tobacco as it is being stirred and 

 combed. The quantity of scent is very carefully 

 judged, so many drops being allowed to each cigarette. 



At one end of the machine a girl sprinkles the fine 

 cut-tobacco on an endless cloth, which carries the 

 tobacco under rollers to be combed and scurried of 

 every knot and lump. Gliding along a groove 

 through U-shaped wheels, the tobacco becomes a 

 continuous roll or rod, which is carried forward to 

 the paper. This is bearing the tobacco onward when 

 the machine clips the paper enveloping the tobacco ; 

 moving past a brush which imparts a tiny streak 

 of starch paste, the edges are pressed down, and the 

 continuous paper-enshrined roll of tobacco moves 

 forward beneath a knife, which, descending at inter- 

 vals, cuts it off into cigarette lengths. These fall into 

 a receptacle, and in many cases are counted and 

 packed by machine also. 



