316 
ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE CUBA TOBACCO. 
In drying the tobacco, all damp air should be ex¬ 
cluded, nor ought the drying of it to be precipitated 
by the admission of high drying winds. This pro¬ 
cess is to be promoted in the most moderate man¬ 
ner, except in the rainy season, when the sooner 
the drying is effected the better; for it is a plant 
easily affected by the changes of the weather, after 
the drying commences. It is then liable to mildew 
in damp weather, which is, when the leaf changes 
from its original color to a pale-yellow cast, and 
from this, by parts, to an even brown. When the 
middle stem is perfectly dry, it can be taken down, 
and the 1 eaves stripped from the stalk and put in 
bulk to sweat, that is, to make tobacco of them; for 
before this process, when a concentration of its 
better qualities takes place, the leaves are always 
liable to be affected by the weather, and can not well 
be considered as being anything else than common 
dry leaves, partaking of the nature of tobacco, but 
not actually tobacco. The leaves are to be stripped 
from the stalks in damp or cloudy weather, when 
they are more easily handled, and the separation 
of the different qualities rendered also more easy. 
The good leaves are at this time kept by them¬ 
selves for wrappers, or caps, and the most defec¬ 
tive- ones for fillings, or tripa. When the tobacco 
is put in bulk, the stems of the leaves should all be 
kept in one direction, to facilitate the tying of them 
in hanks; afterward make the bulk two or three 
feet high, and of a proportionate circumference. 
To guard against the leaves becoming overheat¬ 
ed, and to equalize the fermentation or sweating, 
after the first twenty-four hours, place the outside 
leaves in the centre, and those of the centre to the 
outside of the bulk-. By doing this once or twice, 
and taking care to cover the bulk either with sheets 
or blankets, so as to exclude all air from it, and 
leaving it in this state for about forty days, it ac¬ 
quires an odor strong enough to produce sneezing, 
and the other qualities of cured tobacco. The 
process of curing may then be considered as com¬ 
pleted. Then take some of the most injured leaves, 
but of the best quality, and in proportion to the 
quantity of tobacco made, and place them in clear 
water, "there let them remain until they rot, which 
they will do in about eight days; then break open 
your bulks, spread the tobacco with the stems in 
one direction, and dampen them with this water 
in a gentle manner, that it may not soak through 
the leaf; for in this case, the leaf would rot.* Then 
tie them in hanks of from twenty-five to thirty 
leaves; this being done, spread the hanks in the to¬ 
bacco-house for about twelve hours, to air them, 
that the dampness may be removed, and afterward 
pack them in casks or barrels, and head them tight, 
antil you wish to manufacture them. The object 
of dampening the tobacco with this water, is to 
give it elasticity to promote its burning free, to in¬ 
crease its fragrance, to give it an aromatic smell, 
and to keep it always soft. This is the great se¬ 
cret of curing tobacco for cigars properly, and for 
which we are indebted to the people of Cuba, who 
certainly understand the mode of curing this kind 
of tobacco better than any other people. It is to 
them a source of great wealth, and may be made 
equally so to us. We can have here three cuttings 
* Sponge is used in Cuba for this delicate operation. 
from the original plant; the last cutting will be of 
rather a weak quality, but which, nevertheless, will 
be agreeable to those who confine their smoking to 
weak tobacco. 
In ratooning the plant, only one sprout ought to 
be allowed to grow, and this from those most deep¬ 
ly rooted—ail other sprouts ought to be destroyed. 
The houses necessary for the curing of tobacco 
ought to be roomy, with a passage-way running 
through the centre, from one extremity of the 
building to the other, and pierced on both sides 
with sufficient number of doors and windows, to 
make them perfectly airy. 
In addition to what I have said respecting the 
mode of cultivating and treating the tobacco-plant, 
I have further to state, that once the plant is al¬ 
lowed to be checked in its growth, it never again 
recovers it. That in promoting the drying of the 
leaf, fire should not be resorted to, because the 
smoke would impart to it a flavor that would in¬ 
jure that of the tobacco itself. 
In order to obtain vigorous plants, the seed ought 
to be procured from the original stalk, and not from 
the ratoons, by allowing some of them to go to 
seed for that express purpose. In Cuba, the seed 
is most generally saved from the ratoon plants, but 
we should consider that that climate and soil are 
probably more favorable to the production of this 
plant than ours, and consequently, we ought to 
confide in the best seed, which is had from the 
original stalk. 
All plants have their peculiar empire; neverthe¬ 
less we should not be deterred from planting Cuba 
tobacco here ; for even should we be compelled to 
import the seed every third year, which would be 
as often as necessary, it would still prove a profit¬ 
able culture. Taking 600 lbs., which is the aver¬ 
age product per acre, it would yield, if well cured, 
at 50 cents per lb., $300 in the leaf. 
The following exhibits the profit to be derived 
from it when manufactured into cigars:— 
600 lbs., allowing 8 lbs. to the 1000, ) 
would produce 75,000 cigars, which, > $750 00 
at $10 per thousand ... ) 
Cost of the leaf . . . . $300 00 
Worth of manufacture at $2 50 ) 
per thousand ... j 187 50—487 50 
Difference in favor of the manufacturer $262 50 
This amount being the profits of the manufac¬ 
turer, alone, the profit to him who would combine 
both pursuits would be more than doubled. 
As to the quantity of land which can be cultiva¬ 
ted to the hand, there is some difference in the 
practice of planters; however, I think that I am 
within the usual calculation in saying, that an acre 
and a half would not exceed the quantity that an 
§ble hand can easily cultivate and manage prop¬ 
erly. , 
I am, with respect, your obedient servant, 
Joseph M. Hernandez. 
N. B.—I have omitted to state the cost of the 
cigar-boxes, which of course has also to be de¬ 
ducted. This would vary according to the facility 
of obtaining materials, but probably would not ex¬ 
ceed 25 cents per box. 
To Dr. Wm. H. Simmons. 
