The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-09

other respects corresponding 10 the type A.
3. TIE Austrian type is slightly lfohter
In color than the italian. bus the two types
grade into each other so that no sharp line
can be drawn. They are very smooth, fns
IN fber. very ssi.i, Arm, glossy. red
brown. tough. elastic and Of good length.
| Under the Austrian wrapper may y
classcd the Swiss wrappers. by many called
| the finest type OF dark tobacco. Swiss
| wrappers are from twenty-six 10 thirty
inches long broad silky. u fine iber and
stem. chestnut brown In color, wide b.
/ tween hbers. They are used in Switzerland
as cigar wrappers. he amodnt OF wrappe.
| shipped 10 Switzerland Ia small. but |;
brings the highest prices.
| 4. The French tyne D: tobacco is Lighter
| IN color, a hrownish-rsd to red, thinner
OF body, not so fat. has little elasticity, an
is IN most ways a poorer grade OF leaf
| than the three typEs lust described. A
| clear leaf. supp1e and eveli. rs insisted upop
| Frabcf also takes some heavier tobacc3s
according to demands. The grades are: a.
Itwenty-three to twenty five inches long
moderately smooth. COOL color, dark OF
| light according to uses: b. eighteen to
twenty-five inches long; G. good Tugs.
| The Spanish regts trade takes q 4arse
quantity OF nordcsciipt aud low-grade Leaf
ard Tugs of all types, colo,s and textures.
| Very little good leaf is called for.
Tic English type conforms in nearly
every respect tn the German demands. one
| type filling both markets. The English
government imposes tax on all imported
| tobacco; hence. weight Is reduced IN every
1 way possible before tobacco Is shipped TO
England. Much OF it Is stemnied. the
midrib IL cut out. the leaves are tied into
hands and hung lin In open. wsll-ventilated
| warehouse. The leaf is hulked in as dry
order as possible. with only enough moist
IRE 80 that the leaf VIII not break when
| handled
| The heaviest type Of tobacco goes TO Eng
| land for use In navy plug Sailors require
| siim,liants, and the heaviest a. tobaccos
carrying high percentage of nicotine ara
/, used in navy pug.
CURING PERIQUE To3ACCo
The variety of tobacco known rs Pcriaue,
and valued and famed throughout the mar
\ kets OF tho world for its fine flavor and
| aroma. is all raised within the Mississippi
bottom lands. mainly in ST. James aud
Assumption parishes. Louisiana. Fifty
thousand pounds Is probably the largest
crop ever raised of this tobacco. aud con-
aIderng tho carly market AMI high prlcs
II brings and tho case with which ~ can
he raised IL seems strange that its cu'ti-
walton an1 curing has not extend,d, NJ
pies ant the culture aud peculiar methods
Of curing are only pfacticei by the Ar
| cadiaps living close by the Mississippi aud
| upon tho Grand Pointe Nacherie. vacila-
RE is an island raised four or I've feet
| above the swamps bordering the river. DR. .
| StubSs director of the Louisiana expert
/ ment sutton, gives the following deacrip-
| tion of the peculiar method Of curing this
tobacco:
loan of a chocolate color, of great fertil-
1 ity, and easily worked. This soil is pre-
ferred to the sandy river soil
True Perique is q flne fiber, medium leaf,
and small stems; is strong, rich, gummy,
tough and dark. and when taken from the
press has q beautiful. glossy appearance.
On account OF its strength 1t is mixed With
milder kinds both for smoking tobacco
and cigarettes. BY LosIisianians it is also
chewed. There is a material variation In
the quality of leaf grown On 4 sandy soil
| 1t has delightful aroma, highly priced
| which declines with the increase of clay
In the soil. The crop Is graded Into wrap
! pers. filters and smokers. AT one time
every leaf was brushed and cleaned before
being subjected to curing. This is not now
generally done.
The tobacco will show ynllcwish. mot
tied appearance, with leaves crisp and
easily broken about tho LIST Of July, when
| IL la ready to cut. Contrary to the general
practice elsewhere the plants ars cut dur
ing the hottest part cf the day. three inches
/
| leaves on the stump which arc regardei as
worthless. having served their purpose OF
| protecting the rest OF the plant from the
| sand and dirt. Sharp pointed pieces of
| swami cane are stlck in the end OF each
stalk, making hook, by which each plant
| Is suspended upon rope stretched length
! wisa in the shed, tho plants six inches
| apart on the rope. the ropes one foot apart.
AS the plants wilt ani the leaves become
brown they are removed from the stalk.
| and tho midrib, stisl green, is taken out.
| THE first leaves are pulled from the stalk
In about ten days. and one to three leaves,
| at intervals of few days thereafter, until
the sak is stripped.
The leaves, after the removal 81 the mid
| rib ma twisted into rolls OF twenty to
thirty leaves each. These rolls or twists
| are packed into boxes eleven inches square.
| holding about fifty pO,yids. and when the
| boxes are nearly full are subjected TO
| continuous pressure OF about 1000 pounds
| per square foot by means OF weights ON
| lever twelve to, fifteen feet long. The
| pressure must be continuous. therefore
| screw pressurcs can not be used. hfter
| heing under pressure for twenty -four hours.
| the tobacco is taken out. opened AMI aired
| a few minutes until the eXude.l juices.
black, tarry and thick. can be reabSorbed,
| vixen II Is again subjected 10 pressure.
| THIS treatment continues daily for ten
DAYS, every twist being openei. aired and
| turned so that the juices will s;lturate the
entire mass. From Il light brown the to-
| facco grows darkea each LAY until it
shines in oily blackness. After ten days
| the manipulation becomes less frequent,
say orce In three or fonr days
In three month, the tobacco is cured and
cmits q rich, spirituous flavor which has
bsen Impaired to Il nv the transcription OF
The oxidlsed juices. 1t will thus be seen
that Perqre tobacco is cured and pre-
scrve.i by tina res,aous gums contained in
tho rasural leaf. The wrappers are handled
with great care and kept separate during
| the process OF curing.
| The tobacco ~ next put into cylindrical
rolls. or "carottes," containing four pounds
usually The leaves are opened, straight
cred, and aircs. Upon cloth "a by Is
inches the best wrapper leaves are placed,
beftom sida down, and the hbsrs so ar
ranged as to point TO longitudinal msdian
line Leaves TO the deptb o, half an inch
are placed on these and over them a
secori cloth, and this mass tramped. The
ends OF The mats are then doubled over
about three inches and the whole tramped
again The eatire mass is then rolled into
q cylinder and the corners OF the leaves
tucked down into The hollow center. The
ends Of tho clcth are tied aud rope wounl
tightly around the coil from end to end |
...tr,,tc 81, an fnr nurrora tth-