Edible Products, 



434 



[November, 1908. 



States ill 1901, brought back with him 

 some Florida wrapper leaf tobacco, and 

 on his return to Holland invited some 

 friends, five in number, some of the best- 

 known tobacco-men among them, to see 

 the tobacco side by side with another 

 lot of Sumatra tobacco. The Florida 

 bundles, being of different make and get- 

 up^than the Deli tobacco, were opened 

 and put up in the same way as the 

 Sumatra samples, namely, tied with 

 " Keelit Kayoe " and a special kuot made 

 to a them for identification. Then Florida 

 and Sumatra bundles were mixed to- 

 gether ; the windows were wide open 

 and the room afforded a very good light 

 which would render plainly visible any 

 real difference. The tobacco experts were 

 then admitted, and, to cut the story 

 short, no one succeeded in spotting the 

 Florida from the Sumatra bundles. 



The moral of this is that the last word 

 has not yet been said in the matter of 

 tobacco cultivation, even in Deli, and 

 that, with the help of the duty of §1'85 

 (U.S. currency) per pound, the day may 

 not be far off when the large shipments 

 of Sumatra leaf tobacco to the States 

 may cease and be supplied by the home 

 grown article. Up to the present, so far 

 as I am aware, the quantities of shade- 

 grown tobacco have not been sufficient 

 to influence the market ; but, as time 

 goes on and the growers gain experience, 

 which they are fast doing, we may soon 

 hear more of the matter. A parcel of 

 134 bales of Connecticut shade-grown 

 tobacco, from Deli seed, realised, in 1905, 

 an average price of $1*26 (U.S. currency) 

 per pound ; the highest price being $1"75 

 and the lowest, for short sized, second 

 quality leaf, 35 cents per pound. 



A Good Smoke,— We can all tell good 

 butter from bad. Flavour, odour, fresh- 

 ness, fineness of grain, at once differen- 

 tiate the good article from a bad one. 

 But who can say what a good tobacco is ? 



'' Hodge" pull's at his church- warden 

 filled with a nondescript mixture and 

 says "that's foine." 



"Hans "smokes his cheap, full-bodied 

 cigar, and beaming, exclaims " schmeckt 

 shon." 



" Jacques " pulls away at his coarse 

 and ill-flavoured " caporal" and finds it 

 " chic." 



The street-urchin picks up a cigarette 

 end from the gutter and pronounces 

 it "nobby." 



Which goes to prove that, in the 

 matter of tobacco, tastes differ. But, 

 notwithstanding this diversity, certain 

 types of tobacco have found favour 

 generally among smokers, and are re- 



cognised as standards by the trade for 

 their individual characteristic qualities. 

 Of such are the Cuban tobaccoes for 

 their richness of aroma, and the Sumatra 

 tobaccoes for their delicate texture. 



Construction op the Cigar.— A cigar 



consists of : — 



1. A filler or inner core which is com- 

 posed of two or three pieces of tobacco 

 leaf rolled with the fingers in the form 

 of a short rod. For the best cigars, 

 Cuban tobacco is used, selected for 

 its flavour and aroma, although some 

 very good brands are turned out which 

 have no connection at all with Cuba. 

 Sometimes the filler is made up of two 

 or three kinds of tobacco, blended to 

 produce a certain strength and aroma 

 required to obtain a specified brand. 



2. A binder— an oblong strip of leaf 

 of the length of the cigar which en- 

 wraps the core and slightly overlaps. 



3. The outer cover or wrapper — a 

 strip cut to a definite pattern and 

 dimensions, wound spirally round the 

 cigar, beginning from the burning end 

 down to the mouth end, where it 

 neatly finished to a fine point. 



The Perfect Wrapper Leaf.— 

 1. It should be light in weight. The cigar 

 manufacturer, who pays 1 florin 50, or 

 2 florins a half-kilo likes to have as many 

 leaves as possible for his money ; and, 

 other qualities being equal, he will 

 naturally prefer the tobacco which gives 

 him the most wrapping material for the 

 same weight. 



2. Its flavour should not be too strong 

 or too marked, so as not to veil the 

 aroma of the filler. 



3. It should be without holes or spots. 



4. The midribs should be very thin so 

 as to minimise waste. 



5. The texture of the leaf should 

 also be very thin, silky, and elastic so as 

 to form a smooth cover. 



(j. It should not be strong in nicotine 

 as, in the tact of smoking, it comes in 

 contact with the tongue and with the 

 lips. 



7. It should burn well, without crepi- 

 tation, and consume itself into a white, 

 pearly and firm ash, which will not 

 easily drop off. 



8. It should be bright in tone and 

 slightly glossy, and, in regard to 

 colour, meet the demands of the trade 

 and the caprice of fashions. 



9. Its size should be 12, 14 or 16 

 inches, which prove to be the most 

 suitable sizes for the requirements of the 

 manufacturers and those entailing the 

 least waste. 



