South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-06-30
PURIFYING TOBACCO
IS WORK OF EXPERTS
Government Agents Apply
Tests to Maintain Standard
That PreCede Marketing.

Chewing tobacco is prepared under
a process which makes Il as clean as
chewing gum, or nearly So, according
TO government experts VINO have
charge OF scientific laboratories
where chemical and mechanical de-
vices are applied TO the tobacco 10
give IL a thorough test The tests are
severe and the tobacco must come up
to the standard set by the govern
ment before it may be marketed.
In the latest process for the manu-
facture OF all forms OF plug, nothing
Is taken for granted-all casing"
substances used IN connection Nith
the manufacture OF tobacco are care
fully analysed and must come ZIP TO
a prescribed standard. BY casing
IS meant the sweeteners, such as
licOrice sugar. honey. and many de-
licious combinations which are kept
secret. Practically all the work in
handling licOrice Is done 10y ma
chinery, where in former years IL was
a matter OF human handling.
In other ways the manufacture of
tobacco has kept pace with modern
methods Of cleanliness and hygiene.
For example. every night the watts
in which the tobacco and the cas-
ing are compounded are cleaned
white with scalding water until the
wood work looks like the wood work
IN the cleanest household. All dust
is removed by automatic blowers and
the tobacco is inspected many times
before going 70 the mixing.
How the Work Is Done
Tobacco experts are developed only
through long years Of experience. and
some Of them have been ION the job
for 40 years or more. The order
men are especially expert. BY or
der" Is meant the condition of
moisture. The "order" must be just
right-if Il IS too moist il will not
do. and if it is too dry it will not do.
Tobacco quality is judged, first, by
the order OF the wrapper. so that
it will not break and yet not be wet;
second. the order" Of the filler,
which is arrived at by the sense Of
feel; third, that IL is manufactured
properly-not lumpy. not too much in
the center. so that every man who
buys piece may be sure of getting
his full 10 cents worth: fourth. see
ing that the wrapper is on in good
shape. realizing that the heavy presS-
ing the plug will go through will ar
feet its general character; fifth, that
the weight is all right-it being
necessary always to give full value.
Where Tobacco Comes From
The tobacco comes from Virginia
and Kentucky in hogsheads and is
warehouse during a period of several
years. From Virginia comes the
light-co1ored leaf and from Ken
lucky the famous Burley tobacco.
which IS probably in greater use than
any other type of tobacco grown.
Virginia tobacco is used for the wrap
pers where light plug is required.
The tobacco is first bulked in bins
and properly dried. It is then stem
med by almost human stemming ma
chimes. Certain types of tobacco re
quire hand stripping, which means
that the soft part of the leaf is strip
ped from the woody stem and il -
then turned over to the twisters. who
roll il and dry IL. The tobacco is
then racked and searched in order
that il will be tobacco. all tobacco,
and nothing but tobacco.
It is then carried automatically to
the watts. where it is mixed with the
casing. The casing is distributed
through the tobacco by means of an
automatic sprayer. The tobacco in
this form is placed on the automatic
conveyors and inspected for the sew
enth or eighth time, in the meantime
permitting the casing TO work into
the leaf. Then il is fed into ma
chimes which turn it out I'm the plug
form. and the plug is wrapped with
Virginia wrapper if that be the color
and texture desired. In other cases
Kentucky Burley leaf is used.
Ready for Market.
After they have been wrapped. the
plugs go into the dryer for an hour
and a half. where surplus moisture is
removed. They are then weghed and
checked. and from this go 20 inn
mense hydraulic machines. where.
automatically. they are pressed into
the right shape and the tags attach
ed The tobacco now has compTotcd
its course through the factories and
is ready for shipment II has gone a
long route 10 make 10 chemically
pure, free from all impurities. have
tho proper weight and bc properly
tagged.