150 Lectures on the Results of the 



could have expected that such would have *been the case with 

 Russian-grown tobacco. The fact, however, proved how much 

 climate and soil have to do with the quality of tobacco, and that 

 the summer climate of some parts of southern Russia is admirably 

 fitted for the cultivation of this plant. 



On the other hand, manufacture exercises a great influence over 

 the quality of tobacco. In Algiers, where the climate is apparently 

 most favourable, the quality is such that nobody could be found 

 to go through the punishment (I must so call it) of smoking an 

 Algerine cigar. Those cigars were not smokable, because they 

 were badly prepared ; for Algiers is a country apparently favour- 

 able to the growth of the plant, if proper means Avere taken to 

 prepare the leaves. 



Then, again, we found that some English-made cigars, are not 

 to be distinguished from Havannah cigars. I would ask any 

 gentleman who has the misfortune to smoke, to examine those 

 cigars made by Lambert and Butler, of Drury Lane, and to tell 

 me whether they are English or foreign — by the look. They are 

 not distinguishable by external appearance ; and I may add, that 

 the method which has been employed in preparing them renders 

 them of very great excellence — of much greater excellence, in fact, 

 than many of the cigars imported from Havannah, and paying a 

 ten-shilling duty as manufactured tobacco. Now, this is a subject 

 of greater importance than at first sight may appear ; for if we 

 can succeed in making cigars of such quality in England, we im- 

 mediately create a large demand for labour. The preparation of 

 cigars is by hand labour, which no machinery can ever supersede ; 

 and when we recollect that, in the German Commercial Union, in 

 the year 1842, 605,000,000* of cigars were made, it is not neces- 

 sary to inquire how much labour was required for that production. 

 But none of the Continental cigars were good, except what came 

 from Portugal. Those of the German Commercial Union were 

 very inferior to the best English-made cigars that were pro- 

 duced ; and there is no doubt whatever that it is quite practicable 

 to make cigars in this country which shall be undistinguishable 

 in appearance, and not very distinguishable in flavour, from any 

 except those first-class Havannah cigars which scarcely ever come 

 into consumption. It is a matter of considerable importance to 

 establish that fact, because it may open the way to the employment 

 of poor people, whose physical infirmities render them unfit for 

 harder labour. I need not say that cigar-making is very light 

 work. 



With respect to the Portuguese cigars, I have only this remark 

 to make, they were of a very unusual quality. They are, I pre- 

 sume, made in Portugal from foreign tobacco — perhaps Brazilian. 



* (S04,898,2OO, according to official returns. 



