Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-15
Americas Gin or q Narcotic Weed
to. tho World.
PROCESSES OF MANUFACTURES.
Stun Passes Through Many Hands,
Authorizations Being Added.
philadelphia Prcss.)


the information that they had seen people
who carried a lighted fire-brand to
kindle fire and perfume themselves with
certain herbs. which they carried along
with them. AS the Continent OF America
was opened and explored. 1t became EVIL
dent that the consumption OF TOBACCO es-
pecially that Of smoking, was universal
and immemorlal usage, In many cases
bound up with the most Significant anu
solemn tribal ceremonies.
The tobacco-plant was first introuuceu
into Europe in 1JSS. Jean Nicot' 'he
French ambassador to Portugal sent
seeds TO the Queen, Catherine de Medici.
The services rendered by Moot In spread
ing knowledge of the plant nave peeh
COMMUNICATED in the scientiiic Hdiie VI
the genus Nicot.ana.
The chief tobacco States in the Cnitei
States are Kentucky, Virginia, ohlo'
Pennsylvania, Tennessee, North Carohiia,
| MARYLAND. Connecticut, Missouri, ana
Wisconsin. The area sown with TOBACCO
| in 1880 was about 63S,Sil acres, the CROP
| 412,65l,l51 pounds. Smoking TOBACCO 10
made principally from the Kentucky ana
| Virginia plants. 1t Is coarse. rank
growing annual. with a simple I'M
| branched cyclindrical stem, whlch altaihs
| a height OF six feet and upward, ter
minatng In a panicle of pink flowers. IL
| has alternate oblong lanceolate leaves
| those at the lower part of the stem being
| slightly stalked and of large size, reach
ing to two feet in length. The seeds are
| brown, with rough surface. They are
| of a minute size, and exceedingly nume-
| bay hos a.
on single plant.
HOW THE WEED GROWS.
| Tobacco will flourish over a wide area.
| and in various climates, but Is best suited
| for regions having a mean temperature
| of not less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit,
and where early autumn frosts do not
occur. The plant IS generally started in
hot-beds, and transplanted in May. The
plants are carefully weeded. and the soil
| frequently stirred with narrow hoes until
they show symptoms OF Towering. The
| flowers must not be allowed to form
| except In the case OF n few plants left
| for seed. To obtain fine and strong leaves
| the top Is broken off the plant. The
| plants are cut IN September. when the
leaves have yellowish tint and droop.
| They are then hung up on scafolds in
the barns for a few days TO wilt and
| wither in the air, after which they are
| dried by artificial heat, with tempera-
ture raised gradually up to 10 degrees
| Fahrenheit, the drying being completed in
four or five days. The tobacco at this
stage IS brittle. and cannot be handled.
The contents Of the barn are then left
| till moist weather occurs. and then. by the
| admission Of atmospheric air, the leaf
blades by the moisture becomes soft and
| N no
stripped from the stems and sorted into
| qualities. such as Jugs" ''frsts." and
seconds" These are made up into hands
or small bundles of from six to twelv-
leaves each. and In this condition are
ready for fermentation. They are then
piled up on the floor 10 a height of five OF
six feet. Within this stack process OF
fermentation is set up and the tempera-
ture Of the mass rises steadily till II
reaches ABOUT 100 degrees Fab. The pile
Is taken down from time to time and re-
built the tobacco from the top going t.
the bottom. In from three to five week:
the fermentation Is carried out and the
leaves have a uniform brown color. 1t /:
then ready for shipping.
THROUGH MANY OPERATIONS.
The tobacco is bought by the manufac
turer from the broker and comes packed
in casks of about LOO pounds weight. Tn,
hands of tobacco are packed in the cask:
in circular form, the upper end Of tn,
leaves pointing to the centre. The frs
| operation is casing, which dampenS tn,
leaves and prepares them for the stripper
| An expert is required for this operation
| IL being necessary to know by dipping tn,
ends what quantity of water is require
to moisten the leaves without injury
After dipping they are placed In an up
right position In the casing frame anC
left to drain about an hour, when they
are ready for stripping. The stripping l.
| generally done by girls or boys. and 4
done by taking the ends OF the leaves II
one hand and with the other drawinl
out the stem. An expert stripper can re
move the stems of about 80 pounds daily
| After stripping the leaves are packed IL
. ! retainers. They are made of twO-incl
, maple material, the sides of which ar,
twenty inches In length and fourteen
inches in height and the ends eight inche
In width. They are held in place b,
,, means Of an iron band running aroun,
| the centre.
After they are filed with tobacco-leave
, they are put into Il press similar in shap
to a copying press. where. by turnn
, the screw, the tobacco is forced dow
into the retainer into "A compact mas
! about six inches in height and width an
about twenty inches I'm length Ii Is the
, taken out and put into the iron feedin
box Of the cutting-machne. The ma
, | chine Is self-feeding. and can be emptie
| in from five to ten minutes. The tobacc
. Is forced or pushed through the box I
\ | the knife by means Of travelling screw
The screw Is pushed forward by feed
I ing-arm, and a ratchet-wheel which cor
meets to an arm Of the fly-wheeI b
means of circular rod, the upper en-
! OF which Is attached to a regulation slid,
At every revolution of the nywhee
which makes 10 revolutions per minute
, | dog which Is connected TO the feeding
, arm drops down In between the teeth {
the ratchet-wheel, at the same time pusf
ing 1t forward, causing the screw whic
" passes through the hub of the ratche
T, | wheel to move ahead. which in tur
forces the tobacco toward the knife. +
shifting the regulating slide the knit
. can make from fifty to 900 cuts to II
q inch. The feeding-box holds from sixtee
TO eighteen pounds. The cutting-capacit
!. OF the. machine is about 100 pound
: daily.
4 ADULTERANTS co IN LAST.
The tobacco, after pressing and cutting
r is caked and has To be separated. TIL
t Is done by steaming. a hollow zinc pa
about fifteen feet in length and about ii'
feet in width. is suspended from the Gel
ing, about $50 TO 200 pounds or tobacco
= then placed upon it. and a steam pipe II
= serted into one end, the steam passr
: through and escaping out at the othe
d the heat of which causes the material
r curl and loosen. For favoring or saucr
n sugar. licorice. and saltpetre are used. r.
r separating the fine from the coarse I
IS bacco the material Is passed through
r number of brass sleeves, the meshes
/ which run from twelve to twenty-five
I, the inch. The scraps are cut up into
Il machine, having two grooved rollers, wi
cutting edges facing in opposite direction
forming a large number OF rotary shear
About 500 pounds daily can be cut on III
+ machine 1t making about rs revolution
"a per minute. The stem crusher consists
\ two 3O5-pound iron rollers, two feet
a, length and eighteen inches in diamett
which reyolve at the rate OF 100 revol
- tons per minute, crushing the stems,
. dry. into tine particles.
- The tobacco leaves cost the manufa
turer from to Is cents per pound. II
revenue required by the government Is
q. sftlra