U6 



earnestly believe will be of real and practical assistance to the begin- 

 ner, as it was written 44 in the field " whilst actually growing, curing 

 and manufacturing " the weed " for the market, and therefore after 

 every method had been thoroughly tested. Several manuscript copies 

 of it were given to friends who desired to try the cultivation, and the 

 results of their experiments were most successful. 



As the writer is a native of Cuba and the original was written in 

 Spanish, this is necessarily a translation, but it differs in no way from 

 the Spanish in the arrangement, etc., the writer having carefully pre- 

 pared the English as well as the Spanish, but a foreigner by birth, the 

 writer begs the indulgence of the English-speaking readers towards the 

 correctness or elegance of the English construction, as it is not possible 

 for him always to frame his sentences in a style untainted by his mother 

 tongue, and he begs to be excused for his somewhat lengthy Preface, 

 and leave to those who might follow this Guide to de3ide how far he 

 has succeeded in fulfilling his object. 



CHAPTER I. 



The Tobacco plant Was not known in Europe till the discovery of 

 America in the fiKeenth century. It is said that Columbus, during 

 his first voyage while off the coast of Cuba, sent some explorers to land 

 and obtain information concerning the natural resources of the country, 

 and that on their way back they, for the first time, witnessed the use 

 of a weed, which the ingenious caprice of man has since converted into 

 a universal luxury. They beheld several of the natives going about 

 with firebrands in their hands and certain dried herbs which they 

 rolled up in a leaf and lighting one end put the other in their mouths 

 and continued inhaling and puffing out the smoke. A roll of this kind 

 they called a 44 tobacco," a name since transferred to the plant of 

 which the rolls were made. 



There are many species of Tobacco, but the Cuban Tobacco plant 

 is one known to Botanists as Nicotiana Tabacum L. (Cuban variety), 

 and it is to the cultivation of this kind that we will direct our attention, 

 it being the best Tobacco known and the only one I have cultivated. 



The culture of Tobacco may be divided into five periods, viz., Nur- 

 sery, Planting, After cultivation, Curing and Packing, each of which 

 will be treated of in its respective order in the following pages ; but 

 first a few words on Climate and Soil. 



Climate. 



Climate is an important point in the cultivation of Tobacco, but as 

 this cannot be modified by artificial means we should seek a district 

 where the temperature and moisture of the locality is similar to that of 

 Cuba, warm and humid. In a country where the seasons differ from 

 those of that Island the periods of cultivating must be accordingly 

 varied. 



Soil. 



The soil as well as the weather affects the plant to a considerable 

 extent, for plants grown under the very same climate, but on slightly 

 different soils, produce Tobaccos altogether distinct in quality. For 



