IMPROVEMENT OF BURNING QUALITY. 43 



color the seed from plants producing such tobacco is discarded. 

 The seed from only those plants which produce tobacco that burns 

 evenly, closely, and holds fire well, with no coaling and with a white, 

 close, compact ash, is selected for further planting in the production 

 of good burning types. 



In the case of cigar-wrapper tobacco an additional test is made in 

 which some standard filler and binder tobaccos are used and only the 

 wrappers are taken from the plants to be tested. This gives an 

 opportunity to observe the effects of other tobaccos on the burn of the 

 wrapper and gives a test which may be compared to the testing of 

 the wrapper in the ordinary way on cigars. A good, uniform grade 

 of filler and binder is used in these tests. The wrappers from the 

 best burning plants burn a little ahead of the filler, but hold fire well 

 and burn evenly around the cigar. 



These tests are further supplemented by another and more delicate 

 one for bringing out the fine points of difference in the wrapper 

 leaves from the individual seed plants without the possible influ- 

 ence of any other filler or binder, or of poor workmanship. Wrap- 

 pers taken from the half leaf left in making the cigar test are placed 

 on prepared forms, the shape and size of an average cigar, just as 

 they would be placed on a cigar, and are allowed to dry on these 

 forms. The forms are removed after the wrappers are thoroly 

 dried, leaving the wrapper in the shape of a tube, just as it would 

 be if it could be removed from the cigar in a dry condition. One 

 end of this wrapper tube is placed over the end of a glass tube, 

 upon which it fits closely. A current of air is then drawn thru the 

 glass tube, entering at the end on which the wrapper was placed and 

 of sufficient strength to give the best conditions for burning. The 

 end of the wrapper is then lighted with a spreading flame, and accu- 

 rate notes are taken on the length of time the tobacco holds fire 

 and the character of the burn. The wrappers from the best burning 

 leaves will burn up evenly, but where the combustion is at all 

 deficient it is clearly brought out in this test. In many cases instead 

 of burning evenly the fire will run in streaks about the leaf or will 

 go out when it reaches a vein." Some of the leaves will scarcely 

 burn at all under these conditions, while others will burn in a very 

 satisfactory way. This final, delicate test is used more especially 

 for cigar wrappers than for any other class of tobacco. In all cases 

 a final test is made by smoking a cigar made from the tobacco under 

 test. 



Whether the grower uses the methods which we have described 

 in testing the burn of his tobacco or not, it is comparatively easy for 

 him to make a definite test of the combustibility of the leaves from 

 all the plants which he selects for seed, and in this way gradually 



96 



