The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-12
HOW TO TELL a CIGAR.
The Editor OF Tobacco" Reveals Som
Secrets to the Trade.

Secrets to the Trade.
Much as has been written and said of the
mighty industry of cigarmaking in the
United States, says W. P. Pond, editor of
Tobacco, there is yet much to be told.
We made in this country during the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1889. no less than
5,o6o, l62, 4o3 cigars, and Of this number
nearly one-third were made in New York
city and about one-feurth in the state of
pennsylvania. Nearly two-thirds of those
made In New York and seven-eighths of
the Pennsylvania product were common
cigars, made by cheap labor, TO a great
extent of domestic tobocco, to sell at cents
or less apiece. On theoth hand the remain
ing third of the New York city product
may be broadly stated as being made of a
fine grade of imported Havana leaf by
Cuban or Spanish workmen
To begin with the good scent cigar, the
filler, or inside, is generally of Pennsylvania
leaf, sometimes in long pieces, sometimes in
snort pieces. known as scrap" 1t is sur
rounded and held together by binder
composed of Pennsylvania or Connecticut
leaf, and the two combined, forming
bunch" are placed in a "mould," and
pressed into the desired shape before going
into the rollers hands When pressed
these ''bunches" are covered with a leaf
of Sumatra, Connecticut broad leaf
Housatonic, or some of the domestic grown
varieties which supply the leaves of the
finest texture. Some of this grade of cigars
contain "asprig of Havana leaf, and Others
are made of inferior Havana leaf through
out. Such is the make up of the good
5-cent cigar, which is sold by the manu-
facturer at prices varying from $25 to $40
per thousand, according to size and the
quantity of extra fine wrapper employed in
its production.
HAvANA's THE THING.
The good 10-cent cigar opens up wide
field of discussion, because the tastes of
smokers are so various. The coming 1O-cent
cigar Of tie day is undoubtedly the cigar
made with good grade of Havana tobacco
covered with very fine Sumatra wrapper
This wrapper, in combination with a well
manipulated Havana filler, makes a cigar
of which man can smoke an almost I'M
limited number without experiencing the
heaviness that the same amount of cigars
made entirely Of Havana would produce if
the practice were long continued. AS q
matter OF fact, although a number of them
are still made of domestic leaf, the great
bulk of the 10-cent cigars are dependent for
their quality upon the Havana tobacco used
for filters
Domestic leaf is worth from 40 cents per
pound down to any price-even 8 cents per
pound. Havana tobacco costs from so
cents to 81, and with the duty averaged at
80 cents per ponnd, may be said to cost
$3.50 per pound. The Vuelta is the highest
grade, and possesses a peculiarly distinctive
fragrance and favor which no other to-
bacco has. OF this tobacco the finest
cigars in the world are made, and it NAV
be stated without fear of contradiction
that our domestic factories in their higher
grade Havana goods turn out cigar that
is in most respects equal, and, in some
superior, to the product of the world.
When IL is known that there are cigars
made in this city for which SAT per thous-
and is paid simply for the making, this is
not to be wondered at
The question of quality in a fine Havana
cigar is dependent upon the way in which
the high grade OF tobacco is handled. For,
if tobacco from the same Uegd Colonization
field be given to three different manufact-
urers. all equally skillful and expert, three
verylditferent cigars, of varying excellence,
in the opinion Of a qualified expert, will be
turned out No Uega is made up singly,
but is blended with tobacco from other
0egGs in the manner best calculated TO bring
its fragrance and flavor into their highest
state of perfection, and to the deicacy and
perfect detail of this manipulation is due
the quality of the finer cigars.
NUELIA lttE BEST HAVANA
The leaf of the Vuelta Abajo district is
conceded the palm for flavor and aroma
Yet fully 20 per cent of the cigars i'm
ported into the United States are made Of
Partido tobacco ian inferior grade) and the
national taste is undoubtedly responsible
for the fact. The bulk of our smokers pay
the same price for the second grade of Ha-
vana tobacco as they would if thew bought
the first grade, the price of Partido cigars in
Cuba being only little more than half that
charged for the same cigar issued from a
fine Vuelta factory. The fine Vuslra cigars
have much larger sale in Europe than
they have in the United States, and some of
the special sizes sent to Russia command a
price of 81, $40 per 1000 in Havana; these,
if shipped to this country, would retail at
the fabulous price of 81 % or 81 80 per
cigar. -e
Among the curious points not generally
known regarding the Vuelta leaf is the Pc
culiar fact that it IS the only tobacco in the
world. as far as is kaown, OF which cigar
can be lit, allowed to go out, remain so for
several hours, and then be relit with no per-
ceptible loss of fragrance or added rankness
of flavor. 1t has been repeatedly asserted
that this is the case with any fine cigar, but
this is an error. Neither Partido, Remedies,
Yara, Manila, nor our domestic leaf can be
lit second time without suffering de-
crease of quality and an obnoxious increase
OF flavor.
THE SELECTION OF A CIGAR.
The taste for one style or make of cigar
Is due in a great measure to early associa-
tions. The youth who learns to smoke with
fine Vuelta goods may for time, through
ignorance, stray among other varieties, but
he will generally come back TO them, and
appreciate them. If he starts with do
nestle goods he will always prefer them and
decry the Havana leaf as too strong. and
will long for the metallic taste of the infe-
rior Sumatra as earnestly as the English
man does for the coppery taste of his native
oyster. Scores OF dealers have wealthy
customers, men who have made their money
by hard work. who, capable of affording
the most extensive cigars, purchase and
infinitely prefer the "fve-centern of their
youth.
One great trouble is that 80 many
smokers do not know what they want
They ask for Havana cigars, and declare
that they want them. but as fact there
are many of them that do not want any
thing of the kind. Another great mistake
has been rampant in the craze for light
colored cigars, now nearly past, or, at all
events, vlsibly on the wane. The light
wrapper was no criterion of the color of
the filler, and light wrapper on a dark
filler simply destroyed the even run Of the
Ioaf %hrouOhout which is the Oua essential