Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-07-28
TO IMPROVE OUR TOBACCO.
Investigations by Savnnts of the Ag-
ricuIfuraI Department.
lNew York SIM

iituithfhi Department.
New York SUM
WASHINGTON. July pa group of
scientific men attached to the Depart
ment of Agriculture are industrlously
studying the question of how to improve
the grade Of American tobacco. Each has
his special branch Of the investigation
which has two objects in view. First and
most important to the consumer. they
desire TO improve the grade of the home
grown tobacco so that il will be possible
10 furnish smoking material at a reason
able price which shall be equal 10 the
expensive foreign brands; and. secondly.
which is Of more importance 10 the pro-
Queer. they desire TO ascertain definitely
just what it is-climate. soil. or process
Of curing that produces so much better
tobacco in foreign countries than that
produced in the United States. If they
can discover wherein the subtle distinction
lies, and teach 20 the American producer
the secret Of toning and havoring his to-
baccO, they will confer upon the con-
sumner an inestimable blessing and al the
same time put millions of dollars into
the pockets Of American farmers which
are now spent in other countries
The work now being carried on at the
Department OF Agriculture is divided be-
tween the divisions of vegetable physi-
oogy and pathology and Of soils. In the
first division Mr. oscar Loew whose work
in bacteria and yeasts has already at
tracted widespread attention, is the NOV
ing spirit. and in the division of soils
Messrs Milton Whitney and Thomas h.
Means have made valuable researches.
Emile Mulser and others have also con-
trbuted largely 70 the experiments and
observations now in progress. The fol-
lowing will give some IDEA OF their work
and its results:
y tariff of SIS per pound on wrappers
and 30 cents per pound on filler leaf mas
served 10 raise the price Of homegrown
cigar tobacco but very slightly Sumatta
wrappers bring $3.50 10 s. per pound while |
Connecticut wrappers are worth %
cents only. Preference for the Sumatta /
leaf can be ascribed to but one thing, It's /
superior excellence Care in handling /
has something 10 DO with The difference !
I'm price The Sumatra wrapper Is smooth /
and fine and looks well in |
case. II Is we'll assorted as TO length, |
color, and shade. and pound VIII cover
four or five times as many cigars as the |
domestic product Elasticity pliability. |
size. shape color. size Of the veins. the
dneness and peculiar grain Of the Habana /
wrapper and sickness Of the Sumatra are
all To be considered. To compete with /
these leaves the American must product,
first. leaf which will resemble the others !
IN appearance and then one which I
will be equal II not superior, III nd'or
and aroma. The first can be secured by |
careful cultivation and handling, perhaps
f1t the essence OF flavor and aroma is so
subtle as to have so far eluded all enort5
to discover its source. on the soil or
and Florida 10 * hoped a to-
bacco can be produced which will equal
that OF Hapana and cuba. Whatever is
deficient in soil or climate must be sup
piled. but how? That is what is pulling |
the scientific men. Little is known Of the
chemical proportions Of the leaf. particu-
larry those which contribute 10 the faVor
and aroma. II Is probable that the actual
amount Of nicotine IS relatively unim-
portant and IL is certain that the excel
Ience OF the leaf and its adaptation TO
market demands are not dependent, cT-
cept i'm a very general way, upon the
amount of nicotine. 1t has long been
known that certain Of the potassium
salts. especially potassium chloride. can
not be used at all for the production OF
high types of cigar tobacco, as they give
the leaf poor burn. 1t Is, furthermore,
an old experience OF tobacco growers
tends to produce a large leaf OF inferior
quality containing an increased amount
Of nicotine Investigations by the division
Of soils have shown that the light. sandy
soils of the Connecticut Valley are SINH
lar in their physical properties 10 the TO-
bacco lands of Florida, the Vuelta AbaJo
district of Cuba, and to the tobacco dis
tricts OF Sumatra. There is, further. no /
difference in the meteorological data from
these places that would seem TO explain
the difference in the character of the leaf
produced. II IS, therefore, important TO 1
ascertain il possible. why. under similar
a superior leaf is produced
10 that Of the Connecticut Valley. 1t Is
clearly recognized that the flavor ana
aroma Of the cigar-tObacco leaf are de-
geloped during the fermentation. although
he fermentation changes are dependent
on a certain quality OF the leaf which
has been properly cured Experiments
nave, therefore. been directed toward the
improvement OF the methods Of ferment-
ng the tobacco of Connecticut. with
view of making il as good as that Of
Cuba or Florida and failing by this
means. IT is hoped the result can be a.
aimed through hybridization and breed
ng.
II is not 10 be supposed that for so many
ears the idea OF producing by art-
icial means tobacco equal 10 that OF the
iatural tobacco regions had never occur
ed to any one before the scientists OF the
Department OF Agriculture took II up
IN the contrary. many men have studied
he question exclusively. but the solu-
ion has always eluded them. Their OBJ
ervatiOns however, gave Or. Leow
omething on which 10 work. and after
DING into them thoroughly he decided
hat no one had yet discovered the true
ecret OF the flavor and aroma OF the to-
acco. He agrees with Suchland and !
theirs that the flavor Is due TO oxda-
ion. but dissents from their theory that