December X, 1889.] THF TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
403 
TOBACCO. 
{From the Bulletin of the Jamaica Botanical Department.) 
In Bulletins 6 and 8, particulars were given of a 
prize of Fifty Guineas offered by the London Chamber 
of Commerce for the best sample of Tobacco of 400 
pounds weight grown in the British Colonies. It is 
now aunounced that the prize is, by the award of the 
Judges, divided equally between Jamaica and North 
Borneo. Messrs. Machado's Tobacco, grown at Temple 
Hal), in winning the prize will be even more in demand 
than at present, and it is quite probable that Jamaica 
Tobacco and Cigars will be sought for in European 
markets. 
It rests with growers and manufacturers of Tobacco 
in this Island, by scientific cultivation and careful cur- 
ing to maintain and increase the reputation thus gained; 
and it is possible for those who now are producing a 
very inferior kind to take advantage of any increased 
demand, not by selling worthless Tobacco and ruining 
the market for all, but by laboriously learning haw to 
improve from the directions given by one who 
thoroughly understood the whole art. Such directions 
are given below, drawn up by a worthy Cuban, the 
late Mr. J. C. Espin, who lived many years in Jamaica, 
working himself in the fields, and afterwards being 
engaged in the manufacture of Cigars. This pamphlet, 
the result of long experience, was promised for us in 
the Jamaica Bulletin, but on Mr. Espin's appointment 
to undertake Tobacco culture in Trinidad, he preferred 
to take his manuscript with him. The Government of 
Trinidad purchased the copyright, and published the 
pamphlet as a Botanical Bulletin. By their permission, 
it is now reproduced in Jamaica, not for ihose who 
already understand their business, but to help those 
who are conscious of a need of improvement. 
TOBACCO CULTUEE. 
By J. C. Espin : For many years Planter and Manu- 
facturer in Cuba and Jamaica, and late Government 
Expert for Trinidad. 
Preface. 
The clear and ordinary language adopted in writing 
this Guide will, it is believed, be more within the 
reach of those who most need it than a more elaborate 
and scientific phraseology. Unacquainted with science, 
the wriier merely explains the methods of growing and 
curing the Tobacco plant, without entering into its 
Natural History, Chemistiy, etc., which he deems 
unnecessary in a purely practical Guide like this. The 
writer confidently recommends the methods here ex- 
plained as they are based, not on hearsay aud " theory," 
but on his own experience as a planter and manufac- 
turer for many years. He assures those who may adopt 
this little book as their guide that if strictly followed 
out, the Tobacco obtained will be of excellent quality, 
depending, of course, on the physical conditions of the 
locality where grown. 
Much has been written on Tobacco, a plant which 
forms one of the most important factors of national 
wealth in the countries where it is largely and efficiently 
cultivated ; but the works on the subjects, which we 
have bad the opportunity of reading, are either so 
scientific in the language and style as to be beyond the 
knowledge of the majority, or so diffuse and full of 
different and even opposite methods as to bewilder the 
cultivator. There are some works which give directions 
contrary to our experience, and others again devote more 
space to the botany, physical and chemical properties 
of the plant, than to the proper manner of growing 
and curing it, which latter ought to be the principal aim. 
With a view to supply, as far as our knowledge 
allows, a thoroughly practical aud reliable guide, devoid 
of the defects above mentioned, it was decided to pre- 
pare the present Pamphlet, not that it will be, by any 
lueaus, absolutely free from errors, but it will be one 
which we earnestly believe will be of real and practical 
assistance to the beginuer, as it was written " in the 
field" whilst actually growing, curing and manu- 
facturing ' 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, aud the results of their 
oxperinieuts were most successful. 
As the writer is the native of Cuba and the original 
was written in Spanish, this is necessarily a transla- 
tion, 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 
this somewhat leugthy Preface, and leaves to those 
who might follow this Guide to decide how far he has 
succeeded in fulfilling his object. 
Chapter T. 
The Tobacco plant was not known in Europe till the 
discovery of America in the fifteenth century. It is 
said that Columbus, during his first voyage while off 
the coast of Cuba, sent some explorers tj land and 
obtain information concerning the natural resources of 
the country, aud 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 cer- 
tain 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 " 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., Nursery, Planting, After-rultivation, 
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 tempara- 
ture 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 effects the plant 
to a considerable extent, for plants grown under the 
very same climate, but on slightly different soils, pro- 
duce Tobaccos altogether distinct in quality. For 
instance, in Cuba two neighbouring fields, which are 
of course under the same climatic influences, produce 
Tobacco which differ in many particulars. Therefore, 
not only must the seasons be carefully selected, but 
the soil also requires to be chosen with great care, 
a light sandy loam, mixed with a fair proportion of 
vegetable debris, being preferred to any other. Clay 
lands are very unsuitable. Sandy, loose grained soil, ab- 
solutely free from clay, will produce Tobacco of far bat- 
ter quality in every respect than any other kind of Boil. 
Chapter II.— Cultural Instructions. 
Nursery. 
In the selection of the land for making the 
Nursery attention must be paid to the existing 
conditions of the soil, and action taken in accordance 
therewith. We will therefore describe in a concise 
manner the most convenient and the best methods 
of preparing it. 
The best soil for making the Nursery is to be found 
on virgin or unfilled land, and it is more easily pre- 
pared. On the other hand, in cleared and cultivated 
laud the boedliogs grow better and safer, but give 
more trouble thau in virgin soil. Old, abandoued 
dung-hills, the sides along old wooden fences, hog- 
sties aud similar places, are very good foils for making 
Nurseries on. The nursery may be formed into beds 
or left level laud, as appears most suitable. 
1. Virgin land is prepared by cutting down every 
tree on the portion intended for the Nursery, leaving 
only a certain number of small trees whose branches 
