Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-28
AFRICAN TOBACCO.
The War is Making BEST Kafflr Cutn
Popular in England.
From the London Mall.

From the London Mail.
One of the certain outcomes OF the present
war will be the popularity OF Boer tobacco
throughout the united kingdom.
1t is pure, cheap, clean and healthy. In
South Africa a most inveterate smoker
speedily drops his accustomed brands and,
changes to the local product. There are
many varieties of Boer tobacco, all OF which
are more or less palatable
The best Transvaal tobacco is grown IN
the neighborhood OF Rustenburg, about
forty miles northwest of Pretoria. in the
neighbcrhood of President kruger's private
farms. Here many hundred thousands OF
pounds weight are annually grown. home
cured. and sent TO the markets in huge,
tight rolls, and sold at a price varying from
cd. to Is. Cd. pound. according to the par
ticuar farm on which it was raised.
The brands of Hartley g. Co, Van Erllom.
John Reid Of Potchestroom, Erasmus of
Blaauwberg and others are recognized
brands, which command the higher prices
whenever they are offered on the market.
Other well-known varieties of the Boer
leaf are the Pondo. Fingo, Basuto and
Xesibe tobaccos. These are grown in the
native territories after which they are
christened. Perhaps the most fragrant OF
them is the Pondo tobacco, which Is grown
on the Seacoast in the neighborhood OF inc
st. Johns river. 1t is packed up in tall
sugar-loaf shape. the leaves being damped
and pressed into tight mass. The cone
is then packed INTO a CONGFllE H4SNS U
reeds gathered from the river banks, and II
is then firmly tied with thongs.
Occasionally, when an especially good
year has brought the tobacco TO a partic-
ular state Of excellence. it fetches as much
AS shillinEs a pound. 1t is absolutely
pure. and smokes very cool in the pipe.
In Cape Colony the nelShborHuoaS or
OudtShoorn and Swellendam are celebrated
for their tobacco crops. There is a Story
which seems hardly credible. but which IS
youched for by several farmers Of Inc as
trict that ''morgen'' Uwo acres OF irri-
gated land at Shoeman's Hook has been
known TO produce $1,000 pounds weight IN
4 year This seems an extraordinary crop.
because on the government farm, al Sun
| $500 pounds, and even this pays very hand
Previous to the year 1898 the Cape Colony
annual tobacco crop was upward OF l2,e"-
! 600 pounds. 1t is now not much more IMAM
| half that amount, but ii is increasing year
| by year In Natal in 1877 about 300 acres
| produced 49, 600 pounds OF tobacco.
The value of tobacco, cigars and snun
| produced in the Cape Colony Is 1900 a
/ year and is a very growing industry. rms.
| of course excludes the tobacco crops OF
| the two Boer republics and Natal, winch
| are in themselves very large indeed
| Further north in Rhodesia, Manicaland
! and across the Zambesi in Nyassaland,
| there is a great future for tobacco, for the
| plant thrives wonderfully in these healthy
| rp1ands 1t is very probable that wlthln
| the next few years the demand for South
| African tobaccos will have so enormously
| Increased throughout the world, owing 10
| the diminishing crops in Havana ana eise-
| where that many million acres OF Boer
| veldt now lying idle will be prohtably en-
| Moved in growing the soothing and innoc-
| uouS weed.