Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-06-14
LOVERS
Must Wait Awhile
For Their Favorite Brand
Of Cigars.
Good Havana Tobacco Is
Hard to Get.
New Crop Is Of an Inferio r
Quality.
Result Of War With Spain-Not Pro.
perry Cured.

Havana cigars of prime quality will
have to continue telling about how
much better their favorlte brands used
to be for number of months to come.
Those who eschewed Havana cigars
because of the change in quality be-
fore, during and after tho Spanish war
will have to stick to the domestic
brands for awhile longer
Although four crops have been gath
cred from the Cuban tobacco fields
since the treaty of peace was signed
the quality or quantity of clear Ha-
vanas is still long way from being
up to the standard of years gone by.
The first crop was practical failure,
according to a prominent local dealer.
The second crop was somewhat better
as to quality, but woefully deficient as
to quantity The same was true of the
third crop, but the fourth crop which
is just coming in, is expected to be a
decided improyement.
What the quality of the incoming
crop will be cannot be fully determine
ed until it is carefully tested. Much
more tobacco was raised in Cuba this
last crop than for three crops preced-
ing, but the facilities for curing 1t are,
still limited. If the tobacco Is not
properly housed and cured after being
harvested it is practically worthless.
Local dealers say the new crop Is
likely to make little difference in the
quality of Havana cigars before Sep
tember Ever since Gen. Weylor is
sued his order forbiddng the cxporta-
ton of Cuban tobacco 1t is claimed the
quality has been degenerating and tho
quantity getting more limited. Stocks
of leaf tobacco were exhausted or
were husbanded and mixed with tobac-
co of inferior grade. M
In consequence many men who used
to smoke nothing but clear Havanas
have taken to using the finer domestic
brands and some of them have even
adopted the ubiquitous stogie to salts.
fy tEclr craving for nicotine.
Because the stocks Of Cuban tobacco
were exhausted has made little differ
ence in the number of Havana cigars
exposed for sale. Most Of them We're
Havanas, though in name only. Ev-
erything that looked like Havana to-
bacco Went into them along with
lot Of tobacco that was grown In old
Kentucky or any other old state that
boasted OF tobacco farms. Connecti-
cut wrappers were substituted for Ha.
vana wrappers. Then a gradually a.
minishing quantity of Havana filters
We're mixed with cheaper grades of to.
bacco. BY and by the man who smok-
ed the alleged Havana cigars discard
ed them in disgust for cigars which,
If they hadn't an arstocratic name,
were honest and domestic.
The cigars pnrporting to be Havana
gradually lost the delicate aroma, the
rich color, and the cool, sweet taste,
when mas made the cigars OF Cuba
priced even by royalty. Instead they
acquired an odor like unto the per-
fume Of n garbage cart, and color
that was nondescript and taste that
was like that of the morning after an
overindulgence in mixed drinks. The
cigars hadu't changed much In size
nor in price but there was a decided
difference in the quality.
With the new crop it is expected that
there will be n change for the better
in these respects, but Akron dealers
aver that it VIII be several years yet
before the Havana cigar is back to its