The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-07
CUBAN TOBACCO CULTURE.
HISTORY OF THE PLANT SINCE
GREAT CORRESPONDENTS DAY.
The Plants Insect Pests-Thcy Are
Numerous Rud Have Done Great
Harm, nut WeSIcr beat Them All
Hollow for PcStifcrousncss.


Harm, nut WeSIcr beat Them All
Hollow for PcStifcrousness.
From the Philadelphia Record
Trinidad de cuba. July l3.-As every
body knows, the knowledge OF tobacco
first came 20 the world from the Carib-
bean Archipelago-som authorities say
from cuba. others from the nearby Isl
and of Tobago, whence the weed derived
its name. A any rate. history is explicit
on the point that in 1892 Columbus sent
out a party from the caravals and the
men brought back an aromatic herb called
tobaco,' which they found the Indians
using. The aboriginal method was to burn
the weed over fires. nhaling the fumes
thereof through N-shaped tubes the two
points of the pipe inserted in the nostrils
of the smoker, the other end close to the
fire. About the same time Spaniards on
the coast of South America reported that
the natives there were chewing tobacco.
masticaung, but not swallowing the
leaves and a Franciscan friar who az
companied Columbus on his second voy-
age to Cuba, described the habit of snuff
taldug-how the Indians dried and pulver-
ized the weed. and then drew 1t up unto
the nose with dstressfu snoezing." Mean
while Cortez, in Mexico, was making sim
ilar discoveries. Only the Aztecs called
their plant hycietl, and considered h the
sacred emblem of the goddess Chihuaco-
huati, or human serpent. In Mexican
mythology this divinity was the first
mother OF children, the Aztec Eve, and ia
the legends concerning her one may trace
resemblance TO our own erring ancestress,
who brought the race of men 10 grief
through dlsobendience. As tho American
continent was further explored, it became
evident that everywhere the consumption
of tobacco especially by smoking, was a
universal and immemorial usage among
the tribes of the Western Hem sphere in
many cases connected with the most sol
emn religious ceremonies.
First spanish Plantations.
Though tobacco grows best in the now
famous Nueito Abajo of Cuba. the neigh
borhood of Havana claims the distinction
of the first plantations, established by the
Spaniards about the middle of the sixteenth
century. The industry soon grew 10 such
magnitude that the Crown claimed tho
monopoly, anc kept it until the recent war.
| From the first, the pipe Of peace" in
| cuba has been u promoter Of Instructions.
! urirg the previous century al least three
revolutions grew out of the visits of the
| Crown inspector. who annually made the
rounds of the plantations 20 fix the price
upon the crops and see 10 Il that Spain got
the ultimate drop of blood money. Some
times the tobacco growers refused to accept
the offered terms and, like the strikers OF
modern times, would not allow others 10
do what they themselves declined, de-
stroYng the crops of those who acceded 10
SPANS demands, and then Spanish sol-
ders took a hand In the proceedings. kill
Ing few of the indictments and deporting
others 20 African prisons.
vegas"
The Spanish government constructed the
first real Fabrica dc Tobacas (royal 10
bacco factory in Havana, in 1861. the
great wooden building on the bay, just
south of thu arsenal, which has since serv-
ed as a military hospital Tobacco farms
are known as vegas and when the late war
hogan there were upwards Of 1900 of them
in cuba the c1Cp OF the Vuelta Abajo alone
worth an annual average OF $4,000 900 The
best vegas lie on the sandy soiled margins
of rivers. or in other low, moist localities.
one caballeria of land (about thirty-three
acres, is the rule, half of 1t devoted 10
raising boniatas and platanoes, Cuban
sweet potatoes and bananas, the work.
mems staff of life.
The VegucrOes.
The owner or tenant of the tobacco farm
is called the "veRuero," and his dwelling
house the casa de yiVlcnda" There must
also be a drying house, some mule and cat
lie sheds, and the straw-thatched DO
hos" or huts. Of the laborers The later
are usually negroes or mu attoes, an aver
age of forty TO the cabaileria, under d!rec-
ton Of q "mayOral" or oVerseer. AS
everybody cannot keep a hotel, and Choir
uses are born, not made, so 1t requires spe-
ciaF talent 10 be a successful tobacco grow
err The majority Of foreigners who IN
derake It IN Cuba, If they do not actually
come to grief attain small measure Of sue
cess The Cuban vegueroes claim thai
their genius for picking tobacco properly
is an hereditary gift with which no ac
quired skin can compete. Their fingers
seem 10 know by Instinct just which buds
must be nipped off and leaves cut, 10 reg
uIate the hight OF the plants and the
strength or mildness OF the tobacco.
The Tobacco Plant.
The genius nicouana," "cohlba," or
whatever the tobacco plant Is called, and
II rejolces under a variety of names at
tains a hight Of six 10 nine feet and Is
covered with wide, rough leaves Of a dingy
green The tobacco is stronger when few
leaves are permitted 10 grow. twelve being
flowers, some dun pink, other gfeensh
yellow, indicating different species, have
an acrid, dsagfeeable smell, and one IS
rarely fortunate VINO does not return from
tour Of his vega covered with the para
sites that infest the plants Cubans di-
vide the leaves into four classes: First
the "desecho limpio" young, thrifty leaves
near the toy Of the Plant, which are the
best becauee they have come directly I'M
der The influence Of sun and dew. The sec
ond class "desechio" grows next below,
while The third, or "libre" includes the
smaller and defaced leaves. The fourth
or 'Injuriado," are those growing nearest
the root sure to he stained by the soil and
more or less eaten by worms and insects
In each Of the above mentioned classes
there are again several grades, all with
names some what longer than the .eaf
such as njuriado de repOso. injured leaves
that have been resorted) desechitoes Sc
gundOs etc, The trade distinguishes these
grades and classes by numbers, which TO
the expert suggest the names. COnnois
seurs readily dit nsulsh he choice quail
lie when dried. and even n many cases the
vegas which produced them. by Their tint
ings OF rich brown and frceJom from d.s-
co.oration. The test Of the finest Is IN the