Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-08-05
ALL ABOUT CUBAN TOBACCO


an hereditary Rift with which no ao-
quired skill can compete. Their nm
gors seem 20 know by instinct Just
which buds must be nipped on and
leaves cut. to regulate the height Of the
plants and the strength or mildnosa 81
the tobacco. The genus nicotlana,"
"cohiha." or whatever the tobnccn-plant
II cailed-and II rejolccs under n varie-
~ OF names-attains u height OF six
to nine feet and " covered with wide.
rough leaves Of dinEy green. The
tobacco IN stronger when few leaves
are permitted TO grow. twelve being the
average allowed 20 d good plant The
flowors-some duh pink others green
ish-yollow. indicating different species
have an ncrid, dlsaEreeabie smell.
and one IL rarely fortunate who does
not return from a tour ~ his vega COW
cred with the Parasites that infest the
plants. Cubans divide the leaves into
four classea; First the "dcaccho linz
plo"-young, thrifty leaves near the top
Of the plant. which are the best because
they have come directly under the In
nuencc
OF SUN AND DEW.
The second -"dcsochlto"-growa
next below. while the third. or 'libre."
includes the smaller and dcfncod leaves.
The fourth, or "iniuriado." arc those
growing nearest the rooot. sure TO be
stained by the soil ana more or less
eaten BY worms and Insects In carh
or the above mentioned classes thCrr
are again several grades. all with names
somewhat Longer than tho leaf. such na
injuriado de rcposo injured leaves
that have been reHortedl. dcacchitocH
segundos. etc. The trade distinguishes
these grades and classes by numbers.
which to q expert suggest the names.
NHHHa|H IA
choicest qualities when dried. and even
IN many cases the vegas which pro-
duced them. by their tintinga ~ rich
brown and freedom from deterioration.
The test u the finest l. IN the smoking:
cigars made from II burn freely. with
a white-ash which win remain intact
at the end until 'thc weed IL half con-
sumed.
a thirty-thrce.acre vega should pro-
ducc ten thousand pounds of tobacco
a year, Of which iivo hundred pounds
may be "dcsccho." or best. Probably
two thousand pounds are "dcaechito."
or second, three thousand 'iibro" and
80 on. II II impossible TO estimate the
profit because the price per bale varies
from forty TO four hundred dollars, nc
curding 10 the class OF leaf and the
reputation Ot the vega. Some years,
too, the pests that lnfcat the plant
make sad havoc. ana nt best the We
guero'a life IL spent In u warfare that
knows no truce. The pHnlmlst may
have had the Cuban viviinjuu in mind
when he advised the sluErard to go
10 the ant consider her ways and be
wise. Certainly the huge. native ant.
the vlvijajua. Il the most industrious
thing In this lazy land Of tomorrow. n
~ TO tobacco what the locust ~ 10
wheat. only a hundred times more 30.
When lts viaitations assume the pro-
portions Of plague. the Cuban way
Of checking II Is to 20
IN SOLEMN PROCESSION
to the nearest church and implorc the
kindly assistance OF san Marcial. who
IL known TO be- the special pa
, ,ro9 o. the vegaer9ss When
ua 10 admit II has been known to do
cremation ~ the last resort, and that
unfortunately destroys the plant as
wen as the pest. FOR the eggs IN the soil
must be sterilizod. When the paint
er has watched his tobacco grow up TO
sturdy plants six or eight feet high II
" dlacouruEing, TO say the least, TO see
them suddenly drOop and fade. tie cuts
Into the stems " "a few Of them, sew
trial inches above the ground. and finds
"a fragile lacc-work OF fibre where
healthy cells full OF sap should bc-thc
work " the Industrious and tasteful
viviiaiua. "A these plants are. so are
all the rest In the field. and the whole
crop IA a failure.
Equally voraclous Il the cachaga. an
other insect that asHails tobacco and
makes the planters life a burden.
II domiciles itself at the roots OF the
leaves and feeds upon the stalks,
twisting the outer edge OF the leaves,
as Il eats It's way along them. into lit
tie tunnels, 20 shelter the rapidly In
crcaslng family, Another pest IL lOath-
some verde" little green worm, the
Identical shade Of tho leaf through
which Il travels. leaving nothing behind
but the midrib. A tut, iointcd worm
shaded from pale green TO yellow. big
around nA your thumb and several In
che- long. eats like the lean kline OF
Egypt, hut luckily are not w numer-
Gus, The "oraeauiln" gets into the