The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-22


plant that will yield an agreeable
fiavorlng escapes employment by the
manufacturer of tobaccos. Among
those most used are the lemon, the
orange. geranium, sassafras. thyme.
anise. mint and cinnamon. Honey and
maple sugar are utilized for sweeten-
ing. A decoction of hay is sometimes
applied to smoking tobacco.
The basis of a sauce" is nearly al
ways some spirituous liquor-usually
rum. Sometimes wine is used. Glycer-
Inc is common ingredient. More or
less molasses enters into the compost
tion of much plug tobacco. The rum
preserves the tobacco and adds to the
flavor of plug. The plug trade for the
United States navy is large and IL is
required by the government that the
tobacco furnished in this shape for the
use of its sailors shall contain no for
eign substance except a limited per-
centage of licorice. Saltpeter is some
times added to smoking tobacco to
make it burn better. The tobacco
leaves are dipped into the sauce or else
sprinkled with 1t.
Several patents have been obtained
by methods of spotting tabacco leaves
artificially. In a certain district of
Sumatra which produces an exception
ally fine tobacco for wrappers, the
leaves of the plants are commonly
speckled in a curious way. one anus
ing theory advanced to account for
this phenomenon is that the dew drops
on the laves form small lenses which
concentrate the suns rays and burn
the vegetable tissue. The fact is. how
ever. that the spots are due to the
work of a species of fungus that at
tacks the growing tobacco. The spots
in question have come to be regarded
as a sort of trade mark of the tobacco
yielded by the district referred to, and,
owing to the demand for speckled CT
gars, the price of this tobacco has ris-
en- enormously So manufacturers
and growers in this country have been
engaged recently in devising processes
for counterfeiting the Sumatra speck-
les. This is accomplished by sprink-
ling the leaves, either on the growing
plants or after they are dried, with
various alkalies and other chemical
compounds. BY such initiative meth
DDS certain ingenious farmers in Con-
necticut expect to add so per cent to
the selling value of their tobacco crop
during the coming season.
Ever so many receipts are extant for
preparing excellent smoking and chew
ing tobacco from the most inferior rub
bish The leaves of various herbs and
other plants are largely employed as
adulterants-notably sumac. The SUI
mac has been used since time imme-
substitute. Beet leaves. potato leaves.
cabbage leaves and turnip leaves are
stepped in solutions to deprive them of
their natural flavor, and then subjected
to a tobacco bath. Tobacco leaves are
artifcially colored by dipping them in
mixtures which have extract of coffee
for the base. They are also dyed with
yellow ochre, sandalwood, logwood, We
netian red and lampblack Quinine is
sometimes added to smoking tobacco.
A patent has been granted for a pro-
cess by which the cheapest grade of to-
bacco may be transformed into the fin
est Havana. The leaves are to be
soaked in water until deprived of their
original flavor and then stepped in an
extract of Cuban tobacco stems.
Meerschaum nowadays is counter
feited to admiration. A patented mix
ture for the purpose is made by dis
solving a small quantity of silicate of
soda in half the weight Of pure caseine.
adding powdered burnt magnesia
With this is put some real meerschaum
powdered, and the whole must have
the consistency of a thick cream. 1t
may be nodded in any shape, setting
solid at once. Cedar cigar boxes are
initiated with cheaper woods which
are stained with an extract of cedar
shavings. The alder and the elm are
used in this way. One hundred pounds
of cedar shavings or sawdust will yield
% ounces of oil of cedar. which is
mixed with alcohol and applied as a
paint to the boxes. II gives them an
aroma which is advertised as even SUI
perior to that of the real article.