Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-06-03
Havana Cigars.

The original name for cigar was td.
bocO, and the original inventors of mod
ern cigars were the red aborigines oil
Cuba. The native appellation for the
plant out of which cigars are made was
c0itib0. The suspicion that such is the
case must have sprung up in the minds
of all intelligent persons who, on exam
lining a box of Havana cigars, discovered
on the outside of it the fact that the
cigars were made in a fa6rsca de tabacOs,
which--as everybody knows or does not
know-means mandatory of cigars,
and, of course, not mandatory OF
tobacco.
The finest cigars that can be had are
the Vigueras, which are made of the
finest leaves, right on the spot in the
gegas, and which are rather expensive,
and even for any amount of money some
what difficult to procure. The ordinary
price fora Vigueras Regalia Imperial-a
seven-inch cigar-raDges between $500
and $500 per thousand-not in New
York, but in Cuba.
Many smokers, and even cigar dealers,
in New England are somewhat confused
in regard to the proper Interpretation of
some of the names they see branded into
the cedar boxes. People often feel quite
confident that they buy or sell a particu-
lar quality of tobacco in the cigars when
they give them the name of Regalia
Imperial, Regalia, Londres, Dana,
Entr'operas, or any other OF this class.
The fact, however, is that these names
designate only the sizes OF the cigars.
A Regalia Imperial measures seven
inches a Regalia Britannica is little
smaller, Londres is of the medium size,
the Damas or Entroperas are quite thin
and small fit to be smoked in the pauses
between the acts, at the doorsteps, or in
the smoking-room of theater.
The quality Of the tobacco is indicated
by the words superJino, fa0, superior,
bueno. The color and strength of cigars
is stamped on the box with mdd,rO for
the strongest, oscuro for the next in
strength, colorado for those of medium
strength, and clare for the light ones. The
intermediate shades Of the cigars are in
Dictated by combining two of these terms !;
thus, colorado mdduT0 signifies that the
cigar is little darker and colorado clGr0
that it is little lighter than colorado
should be.
There are two words which must find
a place in the tobacconist's glossary
namely, the words which stare at you in
every street of every town in the world
of more than 500 inhabitants-0egas and
V,1elta A6ajo.
The mystery of the word vegas is moth
ing but the fact that it is the Cuban name
for tobacco plantation, and Vuelta Alb
ajo is the district in which most of the
plantations are found Vuelta Abajo is
a low region Of Western Cuba, south of
the Guaniguanico Mountains, which run
from Marielbai to the Bay OF Guadiana
The best vegas lie on the bank of the
River Gayaquataje, on a piece of land
about thirty miles long by seven deep
As rule. a tobacco plantation contains
only one coballeria, which is equal to
about thirty-three acres. Half of 1t is
stocked with various plants to shelter
the tobacco, and, nevertheless, a caballeria
produces as much as 5000 pounds, aver
aging about 500 per 100 pounds.
AS the tobacco crop is TO the Cubans a
matter Of not less than $40, 900, 900 a year.
all the people are willing to pray for q
rich harvest. When the insects peculiar
to the tobacco plant seem to be little
thick, at once regular days of prayer are
appointed, and the holy Martin, the saint
Of tobacconists, has 10000 masses said in
his honor, to make him bless the crop
and pick off the insects. - Appleton's
Journal.