The Topeka state journal., 1898-02-15
DO YOU SMOKE?
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson
Discovers
That Havana Cigars Are Nearly
All Made in Florida
OF FLORIDA TOBACCO,
10000 Cubans Have Come Over
From the Island
And AreaRaising Just as Good
Tobacco as Cuba's.

Washington, Feb. 15-Secretay Wilson
of the agricultural department has re-
turned to the city from a. weeks visit
to Florida where he went at the sug-
gestion of the president to study the
productions of that country. In an in
terview concerning his observations
there the secretary spoke as follows:
'The most striking development I
found in Florida was the growth of the
tobacco interest. Within the last few
years 10000 Cubans have come over
from their native country many of
whom had been lifelong tobacco grow
ers and understand the art from the
planting of the seed to the marketing
Of the cigar. The Cubans recognize the
hummock lands of Florida as being
very similar to that of the best tobacco
land in Cuba. The Americans caught
onto the business very rapidly. The
state statistics show that the Cubans
sold last year 100 million cigars and
the sales of tobacco in all its forms
brought CubaEs $13,0OO,0 600.
The United States still pays yearly
to Cuba, Mexico and other countries
ST 900, 900 for tobacco. This the Flori-
dan is reaching out for. Notwithstand-
ing the people get 16 million cigars an
nually from Florida, scarcely such
thing is to be found on the market as
a Florida cigar. They all come north
under the Havana name. 1 found very
much the same condition of affairs in
the north regarding the Florida cigar
as I found in London regarding Ameri-
can butter The consumer in London is
we'll satisfied, that the American butter
is the finest that ever went on his table.
The northern epicure after smoking his
cigar will testify very readily that
nothing equals his fine Havana. Then
if you have evidence to prove that it
was grown, cured and manufactured in
Florida you will convince him but not
otherwise. made efforts to buy a box
of Cuban cigars grown in Florida, but
only in one instance was able to do So"
In connection with the tobacco in
duStry inquiry, Secretary Wilson said
he was fOrcibly reminded of the work
done during the few past years by the
agriculture experiment stations in mas
tering the principles that underlie the
flavor of butter and the ripening of
cheese. After the tobacco has been
grown, it is fairly well understood that
fermentation along several lines pro-
duces the characteristic flavor of the
product and Just as several cheeseS are
given their peculiar taste through bac-
terial action, also unQuestiOnably to-
baccOs grown and manufactured in diff
ferent sections of the country are fla
vored by different kinds of bacteria. He
expressed the belief that neither the
CubanS nor the Americans in fact, knew
anything about the principles that IN
derlie the curing of the several tobac-
cos. But said that Dr. StOckbridge in
charge of the experimental station at
Lake City fully realizes the require
ments of the situation. He has inaug-
urated a series of researches regarding
fertilizing and what goes on during the
process of fermentation and phOsphOric
acid is the secretary said, required in
the production of tobacco. The acid
exists in Florida in abundance"