32 



To be appreciated by the majority of smokers in the United States it 

 is necessary that tobacco should have perfect combustibility (burning- 

 power), an agreeable aroma for the filler, a small quantity of nicotin, 

 light color, and small veins for the wrapper. For the manufacturer, the 

 shape of the leaf, its structure, and elasticity are also of great impor- 

 tance. These qualities are generally not found in thick leaves. It is, 

 therefore, desirable to produce a tobacco which is not gummy, excepting 

 for roll or chewing purposes — i. e. , which does not contain a superfluous 

 amount of glutinous juice, or, as it is termed in the local vernacular, 

 "miel" or honey. If gummy it has a disagreeable taste and less 

 combustibility. The smoke of the tobacco must not be acrid or bit- 

 ing, but should be mild and have an agreeable aroma. To obtain the 

 above-mentioned qualities the planters generally sacrifice quantity to 

 quality. This of course can not be advantageously done in countries 

 where the climate does not allow the production of a leaf of very fine 

 aroma, but could be very well applied in Porto Rico, because it has 

 already been proven that Porto Rico has a favorable climate for the 

 production of very good tobacco of fine flavor and aroma. 



CHOICE OF LAND. 



Before engaging in the business of tobacco growing the planter 

 should ascertain whether he has suitable land for the purpose and, if so, 

 to what class of tobacco it is best adapted. It has already been pointed 

 out that the texture and structure of the soil has a marked influence 

 upon the character of tobacco produced. Soils light in texture — i. e., 

 having a relatively large amount of sand and small amount of clay — 

 are in general best suited to the production of wrapper tobacco, and 

 give leaves of medium size, fine texture, and good color. The filler 

 crop may be grown to better advantage on a heavier soil. The influ- 

 ence of the soil may be partly overcome by climatic conditions and 

 manipulation, and, as pointed out above, by the use of shade and 

 proper methods of handling a high percentage of good wrapper leaf 

 may be produced on a heavy soil. The character of the subsoil is 

 also important. A sandy soil under low rainfall and without irriga- 

 tion should be underlaid at a depth of 1.5 to 2 feet by a somewhat 

 stiff subsoil, otherwise the plants will suffer from drought. On the 

 contrary, if the rainfall is abundant a very porous subsoil will give 

 best results, because of the drainage which it affords. 



A striking example of the influence of the character of the subsoil 

 upon the quality of tobacco may be found by comparing the subsoil 

 of the famous Vuelta Abajo district, in Cuba, with that of the hilly 

 districts of Remedios. In the first instance the subsoil is very sandy 

 and the tobacco has an extremely fine texture and superior aroma, 

 while in the latter case the subsoil is very heavy in texture, contains 

 much organic matter, and the tobacco is much coarser, darker, and 

 stronger. The following table gives the mechanical analyses of these 



