Evening journal., 1919-11-11
NICOTINELESS Weed
WITH RECKLESS BEER
Uncle Sans Sharps Are Re
ducing Percentage in
Smokes, Too
DEALERS WAIT
TO BE "SHOWN"


Now that 1eer is an experimental
stage so far as the question Of reduc-
ing It's percentage OF alcohol 10 please
The "drysr and the taste OF the bibuli
is concerned, the prospect Of nicotine
less tobacco looms before cigar and
tobacco users.
Many OF the tobacco and cigar man
ufscturers have never heard Of II. Per-
haps they never want 10 hear Of II. At
least the idea doesn't appeal 10 most
OF them However, 10 Is a fact that ex-
periments are being made by the Uni
ted States Plant Industry Bureau look
ing 70 the elimination or reduction Of
nicotine In t0baccu.- Just how a cigar
I pipeful OF mixture, quid or a cigar
site containing no nicotine would ap-
peal TO the fastidious users is to hard
FOR local tobacco manufacturers TO de-
,ermlne. They are quite sure that the
I'D timer who likes his long black
toeie. with a glass Of something
tronger than one-half Of one per cent
Vil frown at the suggestion. But the
new generation may ind new delieht
IN pulling smoke that leaves no stain.
The experiment is being conducted
by Otto Olson and others Of the United
States Plant Bureau, branch Of the
Department Of Agriculture, and unlike
The experiments along such lines that
have been conducted by chemists and
tobacco manufacturers In Germany, the
nicotineless tobacco Is being grown
from the seed Removing nicotine
from tobacco has been a subject Of ex-
perimeniion with the department for
years, but by the chemical method
alone. Tobacco manufacturers In the
city have various processes. some Of
them secret, for reducing the nicotine
percentage. The average reduction
never gets much below that OF about |
two or three per cent it has been re-
iuced 10 i79 per cent, but 10 is a long /
and costly process.
Mr. olson in making public the story 4
OF his experiment, which appears IN |
the Literary Digest OF November 1. says |
hat IN experiments with Cuban tobacco /
growing. 1--WE reduced The nicotine con-
tent Of several strains OF this type OF I
tobacco down 20 an average of 0.60 per
cent with one indieldual plant as low
rs 0i2 per cent Mr.. Olson said tho
department. had succeeded in Towering
the average nicotine content OF one
strain OF Pennsylvania seed-leaf to-
Dacco, which Is extensively used In
cigars rom 3la per
cent. to "a per cent
In explaining the process Of nicotine
reduction by horticulture Mr.. Olson
continues.
We select, say 400 plants from a
strain Of tobacco. which we know Is
t.,t.. ~ ]
Us for several plant generations, place
a paper bag over the flower head 10
prevent cross pollination. number the
plants and harvest the leaves separate
y. The leaves are anafyeed after being
cured and the seeds from the plant
containing the lowest amount Of nico-
inc planted the next season. and the
Experiment repeated In this simple
manner the nicotine content OF any to-
acco can be lowered, but lt has not
ct been possible 20 obtain strain
With a fixed amount OF nicotine, owing
Q the influence Of climate and soil. But !
he general average Of nicotine content
an be reduced by this method. We are
0w working on hybrldizng low nicO-
Inc strains OF different types. which
rOmises much better results In gem
raj, cigars made from this low nico-
me tobacco are mild in taste and
omewhat lacking In aroma, but this
$50 IS the case with all domestic cigar
ar tobacco, regardless Of nicotine con-
INT. Lack OF aroma in a cigar has no
eAnlte connection with low nicotine
onlent, but a fully satisfying physio-
,gical reaction cannot be expected in
ny tobacco which is abnOrmally low
] nicotine any more than would a very
ght wine meet the requirements Of
ne used TO strong, distilled liquors"
This new departure in the tobacco