Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-03-28

with his family to the parsonage on East
Walnut street.
TOBACCO IN CUBA
" Key West " Cigars From Pennsylvan,a
TObaceO.
Col. James Duffy in U. s. Tobacco journal.
During my recent trip through the
Southern states and the Island Of Cuba
observed some facts in reference to the
growth, care and manufacture OF tobacco
which may be Of interest to your readers.
After careful investigation l am con-
vinced that the bulk of the better class OF
cigars manufactured in the South, cs-
pecially in Florida, and sold as key
West cigars from Havana tobacco arr
really made from the better grades Of
Pennsylvania. Most of the cigars sold ut
Nassau, in the Bahama Islands, are also
made of our tobacco, aud the price of u
good Havana cigar there is % cents, about
the same as in the United States. In
Cuba, where you can get the best cigar i'll
the world few good ones are retailed ex-
cept at the price you would pay for the
same article iu this country. Most Of the
good cigars are exported.
While the soil and climate Of Cuba com
bine in the production OF the best tobacco
in the world, there is no question but that
the care bestowed upon its growth and
manipulation there has much to do with
the excellence of the manufactured goods
Excepting the highest grades, however.
there is as good tobacco grown in small
quantities in some sections OF Pennsyl-
vania as in Cuba. There is also the same
marked difference in the grades of tobacco
grown there, upon what appears to be the
same quality Of land, Us We find in this
country.
A grower there may have 500 acres Of
tobacco upon soil apparently the same, and
yet he gathers three distinct grades OF to-
baccO one of which makes cigars worth
5000 thousand there, another worth
from $40 to $50, and still another worth
from $50 to $50. This difference in
the t,bacco grown upon the same land
has given those who raise it the same per-
picking questions to study that have
puzzled the grape growers and wine pro-
ducers Of the world for generations.
Some time since, the French government
sent chemist to Cuba to examine the
subject, and he took twenty boxes Of the
soil for analyzatiOn. Each sample, under
a through test, showed the same insre-
dients, which has naturally increased
rather than modified the diverse opinions
as to the real cause OF the difference i'll
goods. From observation, and the bcs!
information could gather, am convinced
that there is subsoil beneath the top
soil which PRODUCES this difference for il
there is any one thing settled in my mind
about the culture of tobacco, it is that the
character of soil determines the quality, a.
we'll in Cuba as in this country.
The use Of any foreign substance ex
cept Vegetable manures upon tobacco
ground seriously affects the quality an(
flavor of the product. Growers in Cub1
have used phOsphates and artificial fertil
izers, and this in my judgment has some
what to do with the difference in the quail
ity of the tobacco of which they complain
for one of the most intelligent men l me
told that me where these patent manure
had been used, it would take eight year.
for the soil to regain its natural condition
They grow three, sometimes four, crop
of tobacco from the same planting in Cuba
and the quantity depends much upon the
amount of rain falling during growth. A
great deal Of rain increases the product
but Injuries the quality.
Tobacco growers in that country do mo-
approach those who grow it in this cOun
try in the care bestowed upon the prepa
ration of the ground, but from the mo
ment the plant is set until the plant is dc
livered to the manufacturer. they give i
| much greater attention than our peopl,
do. During growth it is watched and cul
tivated with almost sleepless vigilance
When it is gathered it is cured and stOrct
with sedulOus care. AS it is cut it is pu
| in sheds closed on all four sides. and tn
quantity of air touching it determined b,
the use of lattice work, which is unde
the direction Of man whose solt
duty it is to regulate the amour
of air upon it during the different change.
Of the wind and climate. Where the roof:
| of the curing sheds are not made Of palm
leaves, porous ventilators are constructe'
at the top, and the air passes in from th'
bottom and out Of the top. A steady ant
equitable current can thereby be main
| manufacture of tobacco there is attende'
with the same care as the growth, and
gave this branch of the business some at
tention as we'll az the Others in which
was especially interested. Gen. Cameron
had a letter of introduction from the cap
tain general of the island to the Tobacco
| men of the different sections, which CAV
me an excellent opportunity for these Ob
| servatiOns.
After looking into the growth and car
of tobacco, we selected the Henry Cia.
mandatory for a visit, as it is one of tn
largest on the island, as we'll as one of tn
best known brands of cigars sold in thi
county. The proprietor is grower a
we'll as a manufacturer. The establish
ment is situated about three miles from
Havana, and is very extensive one
employing thousand hands. We fOun'
| Mr.. ]. Alvarez a cultivated gentleman
He spends his summers at Saratoga, ant
has many personal friends in the Unite'
States. He was decorated by the Frencl
government knight of the ''Legion o
HOuor' for his intelligent and superiO
work with tobacco. He received us cor
daily, showed US all through tn
establishment, and gave us mucl
valuable information. He took us to hi
tobacco warehouse where we saw it il
bales, and then he explained his mode
sweating and drying it. He took us upo1
loft in his factory, where we saw boy
selecting the leaves, both as to color ant
grade. This work is done with grea
care. After the tobacco is selected eacl
quality is placed in hopper by itself ant
passed to the lower story into the work
ing room. Here it is weighed out t.
the hands, each man being required t.
return to the finishing room the number
cigars the tobacco he receives will make
The factory produces a hundred Thousand
.:uo,. oool, ru<.rlr;nn 6av When We haf