The evening times., 1896-04-16
FACTS FOR SMOKERS.
Brands of TOba eco Used In the Ciga rs
Now in Demand.


Now in Demand.
The lovers OF good cigars will find it
difficult 10 be pleased during the present
year. according to the testimony OF Mr.
George French. who has been In the busi-
ness during long lifetime. There Is
great deal about the cigar trade OF which
the smoker knows but little. and on these
points Mr.. French talked interestingly to
a reporter.
The important crop is the wrappers. and
on this the best OF the experts can tell
but little until the leaf is perfectly cured.
While number OF States are now furnishing
wrapper stock, Connecticut remains the
source OF supply for choice cigars There
probably never was better looking leaf
than the crop OF / S94, which viii be used
in this years manufacture.
The leaf was very handsome, and every
body stocked up as much as possible. 1t
turns out, however, to be very defective
in burn, not more than 15 per cent OF II
being good, though it improved some dur
ing the last few cold periods. The bulk
of ii still curIs and Goals, and wrapper
that does this Will spoil the best fnltr
that could be put in. The crop or lSs2
was a fine one, magnificent one. he
says, but it is pretty well exhausted.
There is some OF it in the hands OF pack
ers. but very little. 1t is hard and brittle.
and difficult to handle. but when spread
out carefully and sprayed is as fine as SILK
While the crop now to be worked Il de-
feCtive. there is also poor prospect Tor
the one to follow. that of 1885 In the
field it looked even better titan that or
1894. II was a very pretty pea green, and
lacked the fuZz usually seen when it Is
standing. The buyers rushed into the fields
for it, pa wing as high as 32 cents Tor IL
there As IL looks now, there VIII not be
10 per cent OF ii wrappers. The quality
is there and 1T will make excellent binders
but is absolutely lacking in color, beng
fun of white streaks and veins.
The only hope is that the color may come
out III another sweating This some
times happens. This was the case in the
Wisconsin crop OF 1852, and Wisconsin
has not had a wrapper crop to speak OF
since. 1t, though, was regarded as a
failure. After IL had been packed away
in cases for some time il Could he squeezed
through the fingers like mud. One large
buyer shipped 500 cases to Germany, where
the bulk OF the poor stock is sent, to get
rid of il. After il had laid so long that
il had been almost forgotten il was brought
to light and was found TO he OIL OF the
finest wrappers this country ever produced
That sent 10 Germany was brought back t
a sharp advance. 1t may be THIS way
with the crop OF 1885
Mr. French was asked as to the supply OF
Havana in view OF the Cuban difficulties
He did not anticipate any cause for com
plant. Though it has not yet come into
general use, the largest Havana factories
in the United States are using the bulk OF
Florida as filters. Florida has been ex-
perimenting for long time, but has just
succeeded in raising her first crop of good
stock from Sunatra seed There is now no
Florida seed When laid side by side ninety
five out OF one hundred cannot tell the
Florida from the Sumatra. Even the eS-
I,erts have to study overit The quality or
this crop OF Florida is better than Suniatra-
The latter cannot be used as filler. ma king
a sinking cigar, while the Florida can be
used right along. and will take the place Of
Havana 4 they should be fighting over there
for twenty years. One tobacc" house now
has plantation of 500 acres in Florida. aud
is increasing this and also encouraging the
planters To devote more attention TO the
culture of fine tobacco. There. is more
money in it for them than in anything else.
and they are beginning TO see it IN that
wly.