The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-06-11
THE HOME OF THE HAVANA,
scrze of the Secrets of the Great Indus
try of Cuba.


try of Cuba.
Havana furnishes the world with ci-
gars, and in no other place in the world
are there so many cigar rfactories.
Much OF the pleasant aromatic flavor of
the Havana cigar is due to the fact that
the filters are stripped and packed in
ordinary flour or potato barrels and al
lowed to remain for six months. The
longer the filters are stored the strong
er the flavor becomes. The method of
making cigars in other countries is very
defective, as the exquisite flavor is lost
by too much drying. Rainy weather
always interferes with the manufacture
OF cigars, as tobacco easily absorbs
moisture. The filters must ALWAYS be
dry before they can be worked. Poor
tobacco is improved by being artificial
ly favored with Catalan wine, which,
undiluted, is entirely too strong to
drink. The manufacturer never esti-
mates how many pounds of tobacco
will be needed for a thousand cigars,
but estimates how many cigars can be
made from a bale.
The wrapper is selected with great
care, with view to giving beauty to
the cigar. All the scraps are either re-
worked into the body of other cheap
cigars, or exported to foreign countries
for cigarettes. Cigars of an inferior
quality are generally pressed fiat. In
stead OF cutting the wrapper leaf from
below upward, as is done in this coun-
try. in Havana it is done from above
downward. Great care is taken to cut
out the uppermost part of the leaf,
which makes the finest wrapper. The
portion that is almost without veins is
wrapped around the heads.
In making a cigar, the workman
takes two or three pieces of leaf and
places them flat in his left hand; he
then takes as many smaller pieces as
may be required, rolls them all togeth-
or in the hand, and finally applies the
wrapper. His chief object is to cover
the veins or place them all OH one side.
By this the skillful manipulation may be
recognized. An Impractical maker
will make third-ratc cigars out of first
class tobacco. Another test of a good
workman is the amount of scraps he
makes 4 day. A good cigar-maker will
average only one-half pound. The
heads of the Havana cigar are not fast
ened with gum or any other sticky sub
stance, but simply by wheat bread.
This is tasteless, and every workman
carries well-kneaded portion with
him. With very fine Havanas nothing
is used TO fasteu the ends, but they are
secured by many skillful twistings that
wind into each other.
The enjoyment of the fastidious
smoker would be blunted if the whole
process of cigar manufacturing were
laid open to him. Dirty negroes throw
their spittle upon the leaf and tramp
around it with their naked feet. This,
combined with the uncleanliness of
many of the factories, is not very invit-
ing information TO the lovers of the Ha-
vana cigar. Everybody in Havana
smokes, but the ladies in high life are
rather secretive about the matter. The
cigar-men smoke continually, and when
the employer does not supply them
freely with cigars of the finest quality
the laborers steal them. First-class ci-
gars have fine, smooth appearance,
the wrapper being without veins and of
a beautiful color Second and third
class cigars are of fine quality, but not
SO we'll made- The different grades of
cigars may be recognized by the differ
ent colOrS of silk bands that bind them
in bundles. Great care is taken in EN-
bellishing the boxes of fine cigars, some
of the orders of the nobility in foreign
countries being elaborate in the ex-
treme.
Havana tobacco can be harvested but
once year. Attempts have been made
to obtain two crops annually, but these
have been unsuccessful. The best to-
bacco is known under the name of to-
bacco de la yuelta de abajo. 1t grows
in the regions OF the small rivers in the
Sierras de los Oranjos. Each year this
part of the island is overtiown, and Il
heavy, rich quality of aIluvium is de-
posted on the soil. Irrigation has
proved failure in Cuba. In the grow
ing season a heavy dew falls each night,
but the soil, which is a red loan, be-
comes dry quickly, and absorbs great
deal of moisture. Only one good crop
can be assured in each five years. The
plant requires great care Three kinds
of worms attack it, and these must be
removed at night by the aid of lanterns.
This is done by boys, who carry the
worms to the planter for their remun-
Grafton. In the early part of January
the tobacco is ripe for cutting. 1t the
crop is good, all the leaves are cut off
the stalk at once, but if the crop Is poor
the unripe leaves are left to grow out
more. The early crop is much the bet
ter. 1t is recognized by the beautiful
color and mellow appearance of the
leaves, many of which look as if pearls
were spread over them. Great care
ought to be taken in purchasing the
Havana leaf tobacco, because it differs
so much in ouality Ont of one quality
a manufacturer will make ten different
brands of cigars. The Havana leaf is
the only kind of tobacco that moths
and bugs will eat. These kinds of ver-
min are very destructive if not kept
away. There is great deal of money
to be made by skillful tobacconist in
Havana, but he must be experienced
and understand the language spoken in
Cuba, otherwise he will not profit by
this trade. indianapolis journal.