47 



Burley leaf and the various export tobaccos seem well adapted to the 

 purpose for which the}' are now used. There is no need of a radical 

 change, as in the case of the cigar tobaccos, but there is 'need of a gen- 

 eral improvement of the average crop. In the Burley tobacco, for 

 example, the lugs and two grades of tobacco inferior to this form a 

 large proportion of the crop, and bring low prices. The object should 

 be to obtain more of the better grades of leaf from the stalk. The 

 same thing is true in regard to the export tobaccos. The French C sells 

 for about 3 or 1 cents per pound. This appears to be satisfactory to the 

 French Government for a certain class of consumer-. It should not 

 be satisfactory to our farmers to produce such a low grade of leaf. 



The Austrian A brings from 15 to 16 cents per pound, while Great 

 Britain and Australia take tobaccos which bring from 20 to 30 cents 

 per pound. 



To a certain extent the grading is done by the growers — that is, if the 

 leaf gives promise of being adapted to the English market it is harvested 

 green or underripe and is heavily smoked, as these are requisites of 

 the English market for certain classes of tobacco. If it is inclined 

 to be light and trashy it is gathered overripe for the French trade. 

 As a rule, however, the tobacco is graded by the packers and dealers. 

 who sort it out in strict accordance with the character and quality of 

 the leaf. If they assign a sample to the French C it is because it is of 

 poor quality and is not adapted to the Australian or English markets. 

 As a general rule the high-priced tobaccos are manufactured in this 

 country for domestic use. and the lower-priced goods are sent abroad. 

 Still, however, more and more of our high-priced tobaccos are being- 

 sent abroad. 



In addition to these broad and important economic lines of investi- 

 gation, there are many problems connected with the chemical compo- 

 sition of the leaf, the chemical substances produced in the leaf, the 

 relation of nicotine to the flavor and aroma, the changes in the curing 

 and fermentation, the influence of soil, of seed, of climatic conditions, 

 of cultivation and of handling, which are of great importance as aids 

 in changing the style or character of the leaf to conform to the 

 market demands. 



The chief features of the cigar wrapper are the style of the leaf, the 

 size, uniformity of color, and the absence of any pronounced flavor or 

 aroma. The chief features of a filler leaf for cigars are flavor and 

 aroma. In the fine, bright and mahogany tobaccos it is mainly the color 

 which determines the price. In the manufacturing and export types 

 the quality, size, and shape of the leaf and color determine the market 

 and the use to which they are suited. 



These are broad economic lines suggested for investigations, which 

 it is very desirable that some of the stations should take up. The 



