PRODUCTION AND COMMERCE.
Details concerning the different modes of cultivating and curing, and of
the extent of the production and commerce in tobacco in the various
countries, will best be given in the alphabetical order of the
countries.
_Afghanistan._—The tobacco grown at Kandahar is celebrated in all the
neighbouring states for its mild and agreeable flavour, and is largely
exported to Hindustan and Bokhara. Three kinds are grown,
viz.:—Kandahari, Balkhi, and Mansurabadi. Of these, the last named is
the most esteemed, and fetches the highest price, viz. 6 lb. for
2_s._-4_s._ The Kandahari sells for a little less than half this price,
and the Balkhi for a little more. The Mansurabadi is not much exported,
being mostly consumed in the country. The cultivation is conducted with
great care, and the same plants yield two crops of leaves in the year.
Of these, the first, which is called _sargul_, is the best, the leaves
having a mild and sweet flavour; it is mostly consumed by the wealthy
classes, or exported. The second crop is called _mundhai_: the leaves
have a tough and fibrous texture, and a strong acrid taste; it is
usually smoked by the poor people, and is also made into snuff. The
plants are raised from seed in small beds, prepared for the purpose by
careful manuring with wood-ashes and stable-refuse mixed together. From
these nurseries, the young plants are transplanted into the fields,
previously prepared for their reception, the earth being laid out in
regular ridges and furrows. The plants are fixed into the sides of these
little ridges, and watered by means of the intervening furrows. Often
the young plants, packed in moist clay, and bound up in straw, are
conveyed to distant parts of the country; but the produce of these, it
is said, does not equal that of the plants reared at Kandahar. About six
weeks after transplanting, that is, about May-June, the first crop is
reaped, the whole plant being cut away about 6 inches from the ground,
and only some 5 or 6 of the lowest leaves being left. Each plant, as
cut, is laid on the ridge, and here each side is alternately exposed for
a night and a day to the effects of the dew and sun, by which their
green colour becomes brown. After this, they are collected in large
heaps in a corner of the field, and covered over with mats, or a layer
of straw, &c., and allowed to remain so for 8–10 days, during which the
stems shrivel, and give up their moisture to the leaves. At the end of
this time, the heaps are conveyed away into the villages, where the
stalks are separated from the leaves, the latter are then dried in the
shade and tightly packed in bundles about 14 inches square, and in this
shape are sold by the grower. After the first crop is gathered, the
ground is turned with a spade, well manured, and freely irrigated. In
due course, the old stems shoot up and produce fresh leaves, and in six
weeks or two months, the second crop is cut. Sometimes, though seldom, a
third crop is realized, but the quality of this tobacco is very
inferior, and it is only fit for making snuff.
_Africa._—The tobacco-plant extends throughout Central and East Africa,
wherever the equinoctial rains fall. It is cultivated to some extent in
the Bondei of Usambara, but seems to be the special product of the
Handei district, whence considerable quantities are sent to Pangani for
export. Usambara also exports to Zanzibar stiff, thin, round cakes,
which have been pounded in wooden mortars, and neatly packed in
plaintain-leaves. It is dark and well-flavoured. The Cape of Good Hope,
in 1865, had 933 _morgen_ (of 2·116 acres) under tobacco, yielding
1,632,746 lb.; in 1875, 1243 _morgen_ afforded 3,060,241 lb. Tobacco is
grown considerably in Oudtshorn and other districts of the Cape Colony,
and on the warmer farms in the Transvaal, but to the greatest extent on
the coast. The supply is already sufficient for local demands, and
tobacco promises to become a staple of South African agricultural
industry.
A recent writer on this portion of the British colonies says, “tobacco,
though cultivated as an article of commerce for export, has not met with
much success, as the passion for the weed has become deeply rooted in
the natives of the coast and interior, so that it is cultivated by them
in many parts of the province for their own consumption, and forms a
regular article of sale and barter amongst themselves.” The tobacco leaf
is dried very carelessly by the natives, and is made up in a peculiar
way, as follows:—It is first plaited, and when the plait has reached a
length of 3–4 feet, it is wound up in the form of a spiral. Gradually
drying in this shape, it preserves its form without any binding, and it
is unwound and cut off in short pieces when required for use or sale.
This mode of preparation is invariable among the Makua and Yao, between
the Roouma and Zambesi. Consul O’Neill says that “were the natives
instructed in some simple method of drying and pressing the leaf, the
valuable product would be probably brought down by them in considerable
quantities, affording, as it would do, a larger margin for profit than
does the culture of oil seeds, and it might become a regular article of
colonial manufacture and export.”
Tobacco-growing is a very important industry in Algeria. The culture and
manufacture are quite free, but the French Government buys all the best
produce, for manufacture and sale by the State factory in Paris. The
cultivation continues to increase, and is highly remunerative where the
land is capable of irrigation. In 1876–7, the 1889 Europeans engaged in
it cultivated 2471 _hectares_ (of 2½ acres), and produced 2,782,500
_kilo._ (of 2·2 lb.); the 8021 natives cultivated 4154 _hectares_, which
yielded 1,889,124 _kilo._ The year 1877–8 was less favourable, and the
area decreased by 425 _hectares_. Still worse results were expected in
1878–9, owing to scarcity of water. The kind most grown is called
_chebli_. The produce per _hectare_ of fine and _chebli_ is estimated at
6–8 _quintals_; the other kinds give 10–12. The exports in 1877 and 1878
respectively were as follows:—Manufactured, 121,090 _kilo._, and 124,117
_kilo._; unmanufactured, 3,445,441 _kilo._ and 1,509,266 _kilo._ In
1879, 1087 Europeans planted 3180 _hectares_, and gathered 1,226,181
_kilo._; 11,079 natives planted 6584 _hectares_, and produced 1,384,802
_kilo._; the exports were 2,481,218 _kilo._ unmanufactured, and 146,345
_kilo._ manufactured.
The figures for 1883 were:—1240 European planters cultivated 2278
_hectares_ and produced 2,250,671 _kilo._, whilst 8735 native planters
cultivated 6416 _hectares_ and produced 2,977,067 _kilo._, the total
product being 5,227,738 _kilo._ This does not differ to any great extent
from the result of the previous year. Tobacco is capable of being
produced in much greater quantity, says the British Consul, but the
market is limited. The colonists themselves and the Government appear to
be the only purchasers.
_Australia._—In the year ending 31st March, 1879, New South Wales had
835 acres under tobacco, and the crop amounted to 7932 cwt. In the same
year, Victoria cultivated 1936 acres, which yielded 15,662 cwt., valued
at 43,853_l._ Queensland grew 36 acres of tobacco in 1879.
_Austro-Hungary._—The manufacture and sale of tobacco is a Government
monopoly in the Austro-Hungarian empire, and the revenue thus derived is
the most lucrative item of the indirect income of the State. The only
tobacco-growing provinces of Austria are Galicia and Bukowina, producing
about 4 million _kilo._ from 2900 _hectares_; and South Tyrol, where 290
_hectares_ yield almost 4 million _kilo._ of green tobacco. The
respective approximate values of the two products are 18⅓ _florin_ (of
1_s._ 11½_d._) and 4⅔ _florin_ per 100 _kilo._ The chief supplies are
furnished by Hungary, which was once so noted for its tobacco, but the
industry is now completely crippled by the fiscal regulations. The area
(in acres) under cultivation fluctuates remarkably; in 1860, it was
679¼; in 1865, 68,141; in 1869, 843¾; in 1875, 26,817; in 1879, 7316.
The total areas (in acres) under cultivation in the whole empire in
1876, 1877, and 1878 respectively were, 144,493, 148,126, 143,447; the
yields in _kilo._, 46,033,163, 44,164,038, 40,978,540; and the yield (in
_kilo._) per _joch_ (of 1·43 acre), 445, 426, 408. Fiume, in 1877,
exported by sea 2862 cwt. of manufactured tobacco; and by land, 31,200
cwt. of leaf, and 53,712 cwt. of manufactured. In 1879, it shipped 9900
_kilo._ of leaf tobacco direct to England. In 1883, the tobacco harvest
was 26,560 metrical centners (about equivalent to cwts.), being 1595 in
advance of 1882. The total exports of raw tobacco were 55,842 metrical
centners in 1883, and 74,475 in 1884. The port of Fiume shipped 613 tons
of tobacco leaf in 1883, of which 189,300 _kilo._ value 75,720 florins,
went to Gibraltar. In 1884, the shipments from Fiume were 1673 tons.
_Borneo._—Tobacco is grown in small quantities by the Dyaks and people
of Bruni; but they are unskilful in its manufacture, though the flavour
of the product of Bruni is much esteemed by Europeans. Under skilful
management, and by introducing a better kind if necessary, it might
become as profitable to this island as it now is to the neighbouring
ones of the Philippines, Java, &c. The Dyaks might be more readily
induced to cultivate this plant, the nature of which they know, than
plants which are strange to them. More recently it is announced that
plantations have been commenced in British North Borneo, and samples of
the leaf sent to Europe have been favourably reported on. The exports
from Sarawak in 1884 were valued at 2020 dollars to foreign ports, and
34,257 dollars in coasting vessels, making a total of 36,277 dollars. In
the same year, British North Borneo shipped 2113 dollars’ worth; and
Sandakan, 1537 dollars’ worth.
_Bourbon._—Efforts are being made to successfully introduce tobacco into
the rotation of crops on the sugar estates, with the object of supplying
the article to the French _régie_ or Government monopoly, which buys
annually upwards of 40 million francs’ worth of tobacco in the islands
of Cuba, Java, and other colonies. The results hitherto obtained are not
unsatisfactory, and this article may shortly acquire importance among
Bourbon products. The exports in 1884 were 10,185 _kilo._, value 61,110
_fr._
_Brazil._—In Brazil, tobacco is chiefly cultivated in the provinces of
Bahia, Minas, Sao Paulo, and Para. The town of Purificaçao, in Bahia, is
the centre of an important district. The cultivation is increasing, and
greater care is being taken in the preparation. The common up-country
method is to pick the leaves from the stalks, dry them under the
hut-roofs, remove the midribs, and spread them in superposed layers,
amounting to 2–8 lb., for rolling together and binding with bark strips.
These rolls are bound very tightly with cord, and left for several days,
when the cord is replaced by strips of _jacitára_, the split stem of a
climbing palm (_Desmoncus sp. div._), and have a stick-like form 1½ inch
in diameter. They are sold in _masas_ of 4–6 feet in length, but the
tobacco is not considered good till it has fermented for 5–6 months,
when it is hard and black, and shaved off as required for pipes,
cigarettes, and cigars, the last made with wrappers of _tauari_ bark
(_Couratari guianensis_). The Tapajos tobacco is considered the finest
in the Amazon valley. The export of tobacco from Bahia in 1877–8 was
17,272,678 _kilo._, and in 1878–9, 18,149,201 _kilo._, almost the whole
being to Germany. Santos, in 1878–9, shipped 381,310 _kilo._ Bahia sends
away immense numbers of cigars coastwise. Maceio exported 4336_l._ worth
in 1876, but none in 1879.
Some interesting particulars are given in the last report of the United
States Consul-General at Rio de Janeiro, as to the cultivation and
manufacture of tobacco in Brazil. It appears that the cultivation began
about the year 1600, in the province of Bahia, and from thence extended
to all the other districts along the coast. Among the localities
earliest known for their tobacco production was the lake district of
Pernambuco, now the province of Alagoas, where an excellent quality was
produced, which commanded very high prices. During the following century
the cultivation increased so rapidly in Alagoas and Bahia, that at the
commencement of the succeeding century, the average annual export had
reached 2857 tons from the latter, and 285 tons from the former
province. The earliest export statistics available for the whole empire,
are for the year 1839–40, in which the export amounted to 295,966
_arrobas_, the _arroba_ being equivalent to about 32 lb.; and the value
exceeded 65,000_l._ For the next thirteen years, the exports averaged
8,000,000 lb. annually, with a value steadily increasing. During each of
the years 1853–55, the amount exported was 22,000,000 lb., of the total
value each year of 200,000_l._ In 1879–80, the export was 50,000,000
lb., of the value 659,000_l._; in 1880–81, 44,000,000 lb., of the value
of 650,000_l._, and in 1881–82, 52,000,000 lb., of the value of
680,000_l._ Though the principal tobacco-producing province of the
empire is Bahia, tobacco of good quality is grown in every part of
Brazil, from the Amazon to the Rio Grande frontier. Some localities in
the province of Amazonas have long been known for the excellent quality
of their tobacco, while in the Rio market one of the brands most
esteemed comes from the province of Goyaz. The local consumption of
tobacco is very great, and principally in smoking. Bahia tobacco used to
be largely exported in rolls, weighing 8 _arrobas_, or 256 lb. each; of
late years, however, large quantities of the leaves in bales are
exported to Hamburg. Cigar factories are established in all large cities
throughout the tobacco-growing regions, which give employment to a large
number of men, women, and children. The methods employed in the
cultivation and preparation of the plant are very much the same as they
were nearly 200 years ago. The labour employed is that of slaves, to
whom are assigned special descriptions of work. In former times curing
tobacco in rolls required much constant labour, the ropes composing each
roll being unwound, twisted, and re-wound during a period varying from
10 to 15 days. The Brazilian tobacco is generally characterized by its
strength and dark colour, particularly in Bahia. In that province the
practice is to manure heavily, which occasions a very rank growth and
strong flavour. In Minas Geraes the tobacco is somewhat milder, and some
advance has lately been made in a few localities towards improved
processes of curing. This seed may be germinated in any season of the
year, but the months of June, July, and August are generally preferred
for planting, because germination and transplanting are brought into or
near the rainy season. Tobacco plants planted in this season are
considered the best growers, and produce the largest leaves. Those,
however, which are germinated in the dry season, and sustained by
irrigation, grow with greater vigour, and possess a finer aroma. The
land selected for the plants is cleared, and the surface worked with the
hoe, after which it is marked off into parallel rows about 3 feet apart,
according to locality and the size of the mature plants. In
transplanting, the young plants are set from 2 to 3 feet apart, and are
manured heavily in the pits opened for them. Great care is necessary for
a time to protect the shoots from the sun, and to irrigate plentifully
when the transplanting occurs in a dry season. The work of cultivation
and keeping down the weeds is performed entirely with the hoe, and only
two or three times during the season. In gathering in the crops,
planters wait until the plants are fully matured, this being determined
by doubling and breaking one of the top leaves. In Bahia and other
Brazilian provinces the lower leaf is often picked by itself, and in a
few days the next, and so on as long as the plant will develop the lower
leaves into what is classed first quality. These leaves are hung up two
and two, under cover and across poles, 24 hours after picking and
sweating. When it is intended to twist the leaves into ropes, they are
left hanging about 2 days, when they are taken down, carefully freed
from the heavy parts of the midrib, doubled in halves, and laid away for
the rope twister. This operation requires considerable dexterity, and is
generally entrusted to the best slave on the plantation. The operation
requires a rude windlass, which is slowly turned in winding the rope,
which is twisted by hand. A boy is usually employed entirely to hand
leaves to the twister. These ropes are unwound and re-wound once or
twice a day, for a period of 10–15 days, according to the weather, and
are twisted a little harder each time. In curing, the tobacco grows
darker and darker, until it becomes jet black. The juices exuding from
the rolls are carefully caught and preserved until the last winding,
when, mixed with lard, syrup, and various aromatic herbs, they are used
to pass the rope through, previous to the final winding. The last step
is to cut the cured ropes in certain lengths, and to re-wind them upon
light wooden sticks, about 2 feet in length, the winding being very
compact and regular. The rolls are then covered with leather or strong
canvas, when they are ready for market. Formerly, these rolls were made
to weigh 8 _arrobas_, or 256 lb., though rolls of 3 _arrobas_ were made
for the home markets. At the present day the weights vary according to
the locality. The large exportation of tobacco in leaf has considerably
changed the character of tobacco-growing in Bahia, the process of curing
and packing the leaf being simpler than the old process of manufacturing
_rolos_. Tobacco-growing is heavily protected and taxed in Brazil,
nearly all the provinces imposing separate protective taxes, in addition
to those imposed by the Government. Besides these, the municipalities
are permitted to levy taxes on the article. The present export tax on
tobacco, in Brazil, amounts to as much as 18 per cent.
The local market quotations are thus given:—
s. d. s. d.
Patentes 6808–8170 _real_ (=12 2–14 7) per 10 _kilo._ (= 22
lb.)
Santo Amaro, assorted 3 7– 5 8 ” ”
Alagrinhas 2791–5106 (5 0– 8 2) ” ”
São Felix 3745–4425 (6 8– 7 10½) ” ”
The Bahia export in 1883–4 was 15,644,010 _kilo._, value 400,246_l._
_Canary Islands._—With the declining importance of cochineal,
tobacco-growing is gaining ground, and the quality of the article has
been much improved, while factories for drying and preparing the leaf
have been established in various localities. The exports for the year
1883–4 were:—27 lb., value 8_l._, to France; 2268 cwt., value 9809_l._,
to Spain; 1753 lb., value 375_l._, to Germany; and 939 lb., value
189_l._, to West Coast of Africa.
_China._—The chief tobacco-growing provinces of China are Chihli, Hopih,
Hoonan, Szechuen, and Shingking. The use of tobacco is wide-spread and
common, and considerable local trade is carried on in it. The exports
from Amoy were 2573 _piculs_ (of 133⅓ lb.), value 13,561_l._, in 1877;
and 3994½ _piculs_, value 17,936_l._, in 1878. Wenchow exported 27¾
_piculs_ of leaf in 1878, and 321⅓ in 1879. The exports and re-exports
from Hankow in 1878 were 65,070¾ _piculs_ of leaf, and 46,241¾ of
prepared. In 1879, Hankow exported and re-exported 63,180 _piculs_
prepared, value 311,754_l._, and 58,094 of leaf, value 118,534_l._ There
is an immense supply from the provinces, and the leaf is fine in colour,
texture, and fragrance, but though sent to America and England for
cigar-making, the trade has not been remunerative. It is now used in
cigarettes and various cut mixtures as “Turkish,” but when better known,
will be smoked on its own merits. Canton exported 1730¾ _piculs_ in
1877, 1742¾ in 1878, and 2397 in 1879. The exports of leaf from Ningpo
were 407 _piculs_ in 1874, 571 in 1875, 211 in 1876, 530 in 1877, 378 in
1878, and 165 in 1879. Kiungchow exported 449¼ _piculs_ of leaf in 1878;
and 85½ _piculs_, value 136_l._, in 1879. Kiukiang exported 28,120½
_piculs_ of leaf, value 35,678_l._, in 1878; and 14,659 of leaf, and 802
of stalk, in 1879.
Chinkiang imported 13,328 _piculs_ of leaf, and 1914 of prepared, in
1879. Macao receives tobacco from the Hokshan district, and prepares it
for exportation to Java, the Straits, and California, the annual export
being about 10,000 _piculs_. The Newchwang imports of prepared native
tobacco were 8052 _piculs_ in 1877, 8354 in 1878, and 6630 in 1879.
Shanghai, in 1879, imported 58,460 _piculs_ of native leaf, 79,081½ of
prepared, and 1187½ of stalk; and exported and re-exported 31,541 of
leaf, and 29,672¼ of prepared. Taiwan imported 3017¼ _piculs_ of
prepared native in 1879. Tientsin exported 1047⅓ _piculs_ native tobacco
in 1878, and 693½ in 1879. Tobacco is grown in the hilly districts near
Wuhu; the leaves are gathered in October, and sun-dried on wicker-work
frames. The exports in 1879 were 597½ _piculs_ of leaf, and 742 of
prepared.
_Cochin-China._—The culture of tobacco is extending in Cochin-China, and
it is even said that a considerable quantity is exported to China, but
it improves little in quality. The area reported to be under tobacco
cultivation in 1878 (including coffee) was 2361 acres.
_Costa Rica._—The free cultivation of tobacco was stopped in January
1884, and its free sale only permitted till December 31, 1885.
_Ecuador._—The tobacco crop of Ecuador for 1879 was not so large as
usual, owing to an unfavourable season. Esmeraldas, the most northerly
port, and whence nearly all the tobacco shipments are made, despatched
about 3000 _quintals_ in 1879. Guayaquil exported 150 _quintals_ in
1877, none in 1878, and 10 in 1879. In 1883, the exports from Guayaquil
were 1374 _quintals_, value 5496_l._; in 1884, only 96 _quintals_,
192_l._
_Fiji._—The Fiji Islands are well adapted to tobacco culture. The
natives produce a good deal, which nearly approaches the American leaf.
With careful curing, it would find a market in England. The native
product is rolled, which prevents its being made into cigars. Samples of
leaf-tobacco in hands, raised from foreign seeds, exhibited very unequal
qualities, and a tendency to revert to American forms, the Havana
returning to the Virginian type. Cut up for smoking, they were deficient
in flavour, but were considered satisfactory as a first experiment.
_France._—The area occupied by tobacco in France in 1873 was 14,858
_hectares_ (of 2½ acres), yielding at the rate of 12 _quintals_ (of 220½
lb.). The amount of land authorized, to grow tobacco in Pas de Calais in
1879 was 2100 acres, and the quantity furnished to the Government was
3,659,636 lb., the prices (per _kilo._) paid by the Government being 1
_fr._ 45_c._ for 1sts, 1 _fr._ 12_c._ for 2nds, 88_c._ for 3rds, and
10–66_c._ for other inferior qualities. The number of plants grown per
acre is about 17,000. The department Nord affords rather more than Pas
de Calais.
By the Imperial decrees of December 29th, 1810, and January 12th, 1811,
it was ordained that the purchase of tobacco in leaf and the fabrication
and sale, whether wholesale or retail, of manufactures of tobacco,
should be exclusively confined to the Administration of Indirect Taxes
(Régie des Droits Unis) in all the departments of France. At present the
Régie has in operation 16 large manufactories, 27 “magasins de culture,”
and 4 “magasins de transit.” It employs over 19,000 workpeople, of whom
about 80 per cent. are women and girls. The usual daily earnings are,
for men, from 2_s._ 7_d._ to 3_s._ 11_d._, and for women, from 1_s._
2_d._ to 2_s._ 4_d._ For faithful or exemplary services, the workpeople
receive annually rewards, varying in amounts from 15_s._ to 20_l._ Mr.
Scidmore, the United States Consular Agent in Paris, gives the following
description of the manner in which the operations of the Régie are
carried on. At the beginning of each year the Minister of Finance
designates the number of hectares upon which, and the departments within
which, the cultivation of tobacco may be undertaken during the following
season. The last ministerial decree upon this subject confines the
privilege to the departments of the Alpes Maritimes, Bouches du Rhône,
Dordogne, Gironde, Ille-et-Vilaine, Landes, Lot-et-Garonne,
Meurthe-et-Moselle, Nord, Pas de Calais, Puy de Dôme, Hautes-Pyrénées,
Haute-Saöne, Savoie, Haute Savoie, and Var. In the month of October or
November, an agent of the Régie proceeds to the communes among which the
prefects have apportioned the allotments, and receives the declaration
of every proprietor desiring to profit by the authorization. A
Commission, composed of the prefect, of the director of indirect taxes,
a superior agent of cultivation, a member of the council general, and of
a member of the council of the arrondissement, not being planters, then
examine the declarations, and admit, reduce, or reject them. After a
planter is accorded permission to cultivate, he is subjected to close
official supervision, and to numerous stringent regulations concerning
details as to the prohibition to sow any other seed than that furnished
to him by the administration, the mode of planting, &c.; and, in
addition to the surveillance as to these matters, two official
inventories are taken of the growing crop—the first to ascertain the
extent of land under cultivation and the number of plants, the second to
determine the number of leaves for which the planter will be held
accountable. When the tobacco has been gathered in a manner described by
regulations of minute detail, the planter takes it to the magazine of
the Régie, where it is subjected to the inspection of a commission of
five disinterested experts, who separate the leaves into three portions,
according to quality; the planter is then paid for each portion in
accordance with the tariff of prices promulgated by the Minister of
Finance. Foreign tobacco is obtained through contract with private
parties, after published proposals by the Minister of Finance through
the French Consular Corps abroad, and through a special government
agency established at Havana. At present a little over one-third of the
tobacco purchased by the Régie is of French growth; over one-half
consists of foreign leaf, mostly obtained from the United States, and
the remainder is made up by importations of cigars from Havana and
Manilla, and by cigarettes and miscellaneous productions of various
countries, and by custom-house seizures. The magazines distributed
throughout the country are of two sorts, “magasins de transit” for
foreign tobacco, and “magasins de culture” for indigenous tobacco. In
the “magasins de transit” the foreign leaves have not to submit to any
other manipulation than the sampling of packages, after which they are
forwarded to the factories in such quantities as may be demanded. With
the indigenous tobacco the course is different; this when received from
the hands of the French grower is usually very imperfectly dried, and
has to be subjected to a curing process. After the bundles are
thoroughly thrashed, they are put in heaps according to maturity, and
fermented in a temperature as high as 30° to 40° Centigrade. This
maturation lasts from six to nine months, depending upon the locality,
and the condition of the leaves as received, and is interrupted from
time to time by the operation of shaking and turning in order to prevent
too great fermentation. When this fermentation is concluded, those
leaves containing less than twenty per cent. of water are ready to be
packed. At this point certain of the leaves undergo a stemming process;
they are then packed by hydraulic pressure in bales and hogsheads
weighing from 400 to 500 _kilo._ each, and in this state they remain
stored in the magazine for some months to acquire further ripeness. It
is usually 15–18 months after they are gathered that the leaves are
considered to be in a fit condition to be sent to the manufactory. Upon
arrival at the manufactory, the packages are sorted and emptied; the
leaves are spread out in large bins or receive a preparatory wetting
with water containing 10 per cent. of sea salt, in order to produce
flexibility and prevent powdering. This process occupies 24 hours. Then
follows the sorting according to quality, and the distribution to the
various workrooms for composition.
When intended for the manufacture of snuff, the leaves are put into
machines and chopped into strips of the width of a finger; they are then
moistened with pure water or tobacco juice of various strengths, the
necessary quantity and quality of which is determined by chemical
analysis. These strips are then piled up in masses containing from
35,000 to 40,000 kilogrammes, in rooms where a high and even temperature
is maintained by steam-pipes and ventilators. Here they remain to
ferment during a month or six weeks, when they are dried, ground into
powder, and sifted. This powder then receives a wetting, is packed in
stout wooden bins, in quantities ranging from 25,000 to 30,000 _kilo._,
and so remain to ferment for several months. During the course of the
final fermentation, the powder is tested and moved from one bin to
another from time to time, in order to ensure a successful issue of the
process. When the samples taken from the bins indicate maturity, the
snuff is packed in barrels and casks, and is ready for the market. For
the manufacture of smoking-tobacco, the leaves, after the stemming
process, receive their first moistening, which lasts 24 hours. They are
then neatly arranged, with their edges parallel, and are taken to the
chopping machines; the machines in use at the Régie are capable of
chopping 220 lb. per hour, the knives being renewed twice during that
time. The tobacco, on leaving the choppers, contains about 25 per cent.
of humidity, and is immediately conveyed into one end of a revolving
drying cylinder, heated to a uniform temperature of 203° Fahrenheit,
from the opposite end of which it issues, at the expiration of fifteen
minutes, in a dried state and freed from albumen. It is then put through
a second cylinder, similar in construction to the last, but which
subjects the tobacco to a strong draught of cold air to eliminate all
dust and heat. The tobacco is then packed in well-aired bins, where it
remains from four to six weeks, after which it is carefully overhauled
by hand to remove the pieces of stems and foreign matter that may have
escaped notice in the previous operations. It is then put up in
packages, varying in weight from 40 grammes upwards. These packages are
surrounded with a paper band, upon which are printed the Government tax
stamp, the date of manufacture, the weight, the price, and the letter
“H,” followed by figures. The last mark signifies the amount of humidity
contained in the tobacco at the time it was put into the packets. Consul
Scidmore says that in no instance since its inauguration has there been
a year without enormous profits to the tobacco monopoly in France, and
in a table appended to his report, it appears that from the date of its
foundation (1811) to the end of 1878, the net total gain to the French
Government amounted to 287,703,881_l._
The following table from a recent report shows that the consumption of
tobacco in France has been steadily increasing:—
Year. Population. Amount Amount per
consumed. Head.
Kilogrammes. Grammes.
1815 29,250,000 8,981,403 307
1826 31,673,853 11,595,084 366
1831 32,731,256 11,071,088 338
1841 34,018,715 16,461,934 484
1851 35,546,919 19,718,089 555
1864 37,133,424 28,019,803 755
1866 37,807,203 30,627,663 810
1872 35,844,414 27,031,000 754
1876 36,643,087 31,188,846 851
The amount consumed in the different departments varies very much.
Snuff-taking is most practised in Oise, Seine Inférieure, Eure, and
Eure-et-Loir, at the maximum rate of 375 _grm._ per head; and least in
the departments of Doubs, Pyrénées Orientales, Nord, Haut Rhin, and
Haute Savoie, where the average is but 100 _grm._ In smoking, however,
there is rather a reverse order of things, the Nord, Haut-Rhin, and Pas
de Calais consuming at the rate of 2 _kilo._ per head, while the minimum
is found in Haute Savoie, Cantal, Corrèze, Creuse, Aveyron, Dordogne,
Lot, and Lozère. Ten departments only consume tobacco above the average,
while 70 are actually below it. If all France smoked the same quantity
as do the people of Nord, Haut-Rhin, and Pas de Calais, the consumption
for the whole country would be 73,286,174 _kilo._ instead of 31,000,000;
and _vice versâ_ it would be only 6,265,968 _kilo._ if calculated
according to the average of Lozère, which is only at the rate of 171
_grm._ per head.
The department of the Nord, in 1884, had 449 _hectares_ (of 2·47 acres)
under tobacco, the yield of which was 1,168,206 _kilo._
_Germany._—The total area of land engaged in growing tobacco in Germany
in 1878 was about 44,520 acres; nearly two-thirds of this total was
distributed among Rhenish Bavaria, Baden, S. Hesse, and Alsace-Lorraine.
The total consumption of tobacco in the German empire in that year was
2,196,000 cwt. The home production was 596,776 cwt., the remainder being
imported.
The aggregate area of land cultivated with tobacco in the States of the
German Customs Union did not vary considerably during ten years, being
21,509 _hectares_ in 1863, and 20,918 in 1872, to which must be added
the newly annexed provinces of Alsace and Lorraine, which bring up the
total to 24,745 _hectares_. It appears that, with particular regard to
the year 1872, the cultivation was carried on in 4067 different
localities, by 94,916 taxable growers, and by 83,675 smaller growers,
whose production, owing to its limited extent, was exempt from taxation.
By far the larger number were small growers, the area cultivated by each
not exceeding an average of 10 _ares_. In Prussia the aggregate of land
cultivated during the year 1871 amounted to 5925 _hectares_, or 26 per
cent. of the entire territory of the kingdom; the aggregate yield of the
harvest in the same year was 198,890 _centners_. It appears that the
extent of tobacco-growing land has, during the last fifty years, been
gradually diminishing in Prussia, and that accordingly the expectations
entertained in the beginning of that period of a great future
development of this branch of agriculture have not been realized. The
reasons for the gradual decline are considered to be, on the one hand,
the growing competition of the South German growers, and the increase in
the importations of American tobacco; on the other hand, the fact that
the cultivation of beetroot for sugar, and of potatoes for distilling
purposes, has proved to be a more profitable business than tobacco
production. It has, moreover, been found by many years’ experience, that
whilst the quality of the tobacco cultivated in most parts of Prussia is
not such as to enable the growers to compete successfully with the
importers of foreign, particularly North American sorts, the labour
attending its cultivation and its preparation for the market, as well as
the uncertainty of only an average crop, are out of proportion, as a
rule, to the average profits arising therefrom. The cultivation of the
plant has consequently gradually “become restricted chiefly to those
districts of the country where either the soil is peculiarly adapted for
the purpose, or where it is carried on for the private use of the
producer.
In Bavaria, as is well known, tobacco is cultivated very extensively,
particularly in the Palatinate and in Franconia, viz. the districts
around Nuremberg and Erlangen. The area of land in 1871 was 4721
_hectares_, which produced 144,153 _centners_. In Saxony but little
tobacco is grown, the total area planted therewith in 1871 not having
exceeded 6 _hectares_, upon which 130 _centners_ were produced. Although
in parts of Wirtemberg the soil and climate are said to be very
favourable to the growth of the plant, the area of land cultivated is,
upon the whole, a very limited one, and did not exceed 178 _hectares_.
The yield of the harvest is given at 5571 _centners_. In the year 1858
the extent of production in Wirtemberg is stated to have been four times
as great as it is at present. The Grand Duchy of Baden has at all times
been the chief tobacco-growing part of Germany, and as far back as the
end of the seventeenth century special laws for regulating the
cultivation, preparation, and warehousing of this article were in force.
The great importance accordingly attaching to this branch of agriculture
and industry for so large a proportion of the inhabitants of Baden,
renders it but natural that any project of increasing the tobacco tax
should meet with very strong opposition amongst most classes of the
Grand Duchy. The most prominent tobacco-growing districts of Baden are
those of Carlsruhe, Mannheim, Heidelberg, Badenburg, Schwitzingen, and
Lahr; the quality of the plant grown in these parts being a very
inferior one. The produce of the districts mentioned is therefore
applied chiefly to the manufacture of “cigar-wrappers,” and is exported
in considerable quantities to Bremen, Hamburg, Switzerland, Holland, and
even to America, for the use of the cigar-makers. The prices of the best
kinds of Baden tobacco are consequently also, on an average, much higher
than those realized by other German growers. The area in Hesse was 979
_hectares_, the chief district being around the town of Darmstadt; the
production was 31,311 _centners_. The most prominent amongst the
Thuringian States as regards tobacco production, is the Duchy of
Saxe-Menningen; the land cultivated in 1871 in all of them put together
was 202 _hectares_, the yield of the harvest in that year having been
4806 _centners_. In the two German states of Mecklenburg, 6106
_centners_ were raised from 165 _hectares_ of land. The most important
district is that of Neu-Brandenburg, in Mecklenburgh-Strelitz. Only a
small extent of land, viz. 69 _hectares_, is used for tobacco in the
Duchy of Brunswick, the same being situated near the town of Helmstadt;
the amount raised was 2391 _centners_.
In the recently acquired provinces of Alsace-Lorraine, tobacco
cultivation has been extensively carried on for many years, more
especially in the country around Strasburg, Mülhausen, Schirmeck, and
Münster, and to a smaller extent near Metz and Thionville. The aggregate
area of land cultivated in 1871 in both provinces is given at 3159
_hectares_, upon which 115,518 _centners_ of tobacco were raised.
According to the statistics and information furnished by Consul Ward,
the quantity of tobacco produced in Germany in the year 1871 amounted to
713,845 _centners_, the whole being estimated in value at 60,284,210
dols., or about 9,042,613_l._ sterling.
A Consular report of March 31, 1885, remarks that one of the most
prominent branches of agriculture in Baden is that of tobacco, of which
about 300,000 to 350,000 cwt. annually are grown, whereof large
quantities are exported. Owing to the comparatively high tax on
production of 22½ marks per 50 _kilo._, the grower has been forced to
seek a more rational system of cultivation, and a more careful treatment
of the plant and the curing of the leaf. Government pays particular
attention to this culture. A Commission has been appointed for the
purpose of studying and investigating the treatment of tobacco in
Holland, and the results are to be adopted and propagated, so far as the
climate admits.
It is very doubtful whether the labours of the Commission will greatly
influence the farmers, who are of a very conservative disposition;
moreover, there is a greater obstacle to struggle against, namely, their
desire to increase the quantity of the production, and with it their
income, without regard to the question of deterioration of the quality
of tobacco; the peasantry, like other classes, participates in the
desire to better its material condition.
The surface of land occupied by tobacco plantations represented in 1883
for the whole of the empire the considerable figure of 22,068
_hectares_; this year a reduction is to be noted, as official reports
bring the total to 21,108 _hectares_ only.
The Grand Duchy of Baden participated in the above figures with 7788
_hectares_ for 1883, and 7647 _hectares_ for 1884.
Notwithstanding this difference, the result of the crop will not
essentially be smaller (as regards the weight of the total), the new
produce proving heavier in weight and in substance. While in 1883 the
hectare produced about 1900 _kilo._, it is supposed that for 1884 it
will yield from 1800 to 2000 _kilo._ These figures tend to prove that
the 1884 tobacco is richer in quality, and consequently more durable,
and less capable of treatment than that of the preceding years; although
the quality is somewhat inferior to that of 1882 and 1883 it may fairly
be considered as good.
The subjoined remarks deal with the tobacco trade of Bremen. The number
of casks of Kentucky tobacco sold in 1884 fell considerably below that
disposed of in 1883. This is explainable by the circumstance that lugs
and cuttings were altogether wanting. The prices of leaf on the whole
remained steady, except in October and November, when they soon regained
their firmness through no more supplies from America being expected,
owing to the continued demand for strong tobacco in that country.
Business in Virginia tobacco also suffered from the want of inferior
qualities. Prices, considered high from the beginning, showed even a
rising tendency at the end of the season. Transactions in Maryland and
scrubs exceeded the average of the last five years. Ohio and Bay
suffered, as hitherto, from the protection afforded to home growths.
Operations in stems were, considering the depression in trade, not
unsatisfactory.
A good business was done in almost all descriptions of tobacco in
serons, chests, bales, and baskets, and sales surpassed those of
previous years.
The subjoined table presents a comparison of the transactions in the
various sorts of tobacco during the last two years:—
──────────────────┬──────────────────┬───────────────┬───────────────
Description of │ Description of │ Imports. │ Sales.
Tobacco. │ Packing. │ 1883.│ 1884.│ 1883.│ 1884.
──────────────────┼──────────────────┼───────┼───────┼───────┼───────
Kentucky │Casks │ 20,828│ 12,084│ 20,012│ 12,514
Virginia │ ” │ 3,937│ 5,250│ 4,848│ 5,196
Maryland │ ” │ 4,929│ 5,615│ 4,579│ 5,811
Scrubs │ ” │ 383│ 1,363│ 383│ 1,027
Ohio │ ” │ 581│ 1,155│ 566│ 1,174
Bay │ ” │ 101│ 136│ 234│ 134
Stems │ ” │ 5,013│ 7,332│ 8,163│ 5,403
Havana │Serons │ 16,127│ 15,027│ 13,121│ 11,967
Cuba and Yara │ ” │ 22,467│ 22,259│ 29,297│ 17,383
St. Domingo │ ” │ 83,836│ 59,665│ 58,121│ 44,065
Seed-leaf │Chests │ 17,070│ 18,723│ 77,000│ 18,203
Porto Rico │Bales │ 1,133│ 300│ 1,137│ 2,210
Esmeralda │ ” │ 705│ 549│ 776│ 599
Columbia │Serons and bales │ 11,862│ 21,041│ 14,032│ 22,659
Varnias │Leaves and rolls │ 922│ 2,065│ 3,174│ 2,065
Brazil, in leaves │Bales │131,982│185,061│139,397│189,246
Paraguay │ ” │ 2,672│ 2,601│ 2,879│ 2,819
Rio Grande │ ” │ 4,571│ ..│ 10,199│ 1,340
Manilla │ ” │ 50│ 77│ 21│ 106
Mexican │ ” │ ..│ 10│ ..│ 10
Turkish and Greek │ ” │ 6,155│ 6,825│ 8,235│ 8,105
Other varieties │ ” │ 1,496│ 2,017│ 1,441│ 3,357
──────────────────┴──────────────────┴───────┴───────┴───────┴───────
Good qualities of Havana fetched adequate prices. The demand for Cuba,
Yara, Carmen, and Domingo was brisk; Brazilian and Felix found ready
buyers, owing to the last good crop, the prices rising towards the close
of the year. The stock of Porto Rico was realized at a low figure. In
seed-leaf Pennsylvania plants were chiefly imported, and, being of a
good quality, were for the most part promptly disposed of. Much
inclination was shown for Turkish tobacco, and the same remark applies
to business in Paraguay, of which the supplies might have been greater.
Chinese tobacco, very brisk at first on account of its fine quality,
later on fell off again considerably.
The value of the tobacco consumed in Germany in 1878 is calculated to
have been 353 million marks, or 17,650,000_l._ sterling, the total
return to the revenue being 26,383,966 marks, or 1,319,198_l._ The
quantity consumed in that empire in the year is stated at 2,196,000
cwt., or rather more than 100,000 tons. Of this quantity 582,600 cwt.,
or upwards of 29,000 tons, were consumed in the form of cigars.
Reckoning a hundred cigars to a pound in weight, the number of cigars
consumed in Germany in 1878 would be upwards of seven thousand millions,
which would give two cigars a day all the year round to ten million
smokers. But besides cigars the Germans smoked in the year 1,327,200
cwt., or upwards of 60,000 tons of tobacco more or less manufactured. In
the form of snuff they took 160,600 cwt., or 8000 tons, in the course of
the year, while in the way of chewing-tobacco they limited themselves to
the moderate quantity of 14,200 cwt., or about 700 tons. Rather more
than one-third of the total weight of tobacco consumed was grown within
the limits of Germany, the quantity so produced in 1878 being 596,776
cwt., while the imports amounted to 1,768,855 cwt. of tobacco leaves,
4827 cwt. of roll tobacco, 14,170 cwt. of cigars, 8321 cwt. of stems for
snuffs, 513 cwt. of snuff, and 101 cwt. of chewing-tobacco. The total
area of land engaged in growing the plant in 1878 was 18,016 _hectares_,
or about 44,520 acres. Two-thirds of that quantity was grown in Rhenish
Bavaria, Baden, South Hesse, and Alsace-Lorraine, in which districts
11,623 _hectares_ were employed in the cultivation of the plant.
_Great Britain._—The proposal to re-establish tobacco culture in the
United Kingdom has called for the following sensible article in the
_Planters’ Gazette_.
“The question of growing tobacco in the United Kingdom is not so simple
as patriotic Irishmen and enthusiasts of acclimatization might think.
Tobacco has been classed, like tea and coffee, as among those
necessaries of life which could not be grown with any advantage in the
United Kingdom, and might therefore be freely taxed for revenue
purposes. It is, indeed, true that a passable herb may be grown and
called tobacco, in many parts of the United Kingdom, but the fact has
been generally recognized that competition with more tropical countries
is practically fruitless, and therefore to be abandoned. It is easily to
be understood that so aromatic a crop, monopolizing so many of the best
and rarest qualities of the soil, would require high manuring; and that,
just as is the case of any other crop—such as hops, or even wheat—one
could get nothing of the special excellence of the herb required but
what one has previously put into the soil. But, to be profitable, the
plant requires good heat as well as good soil. This, therefore, is the
whole economical question, and upon that the matter mainly hinges. The
claim to grow real tobacco in England or Ireland is based upon the
allegation that the herb can be grown at a profit. The best evidence
furnished to the House of Commons on Monday evening on this point was
that of Lord Harris, who affirmed boldly that Ireland and parts of
England were prepared to enter into a fair competition with the
recognized productive colonies. The Government, and with them, Lord
Iddesleigh, are in favour of an experiment largely granting all that is
asked, and carefully observing the result. Then, when the British
tobacco comes upon the ordinary market, let it be taxed as any other
similar product would be. The Government could not view with anything
but dismay the prospect of a fall in revenue; and there is no question,
therefore, that the home-grown tobacco must pay duty to the full. The
_crux_ of the question is how such duty can be enforced without an army
of revenue officers, whose practical duties would bear no reasonable
proportion to their probable cost. Our own impression is that tobacco
can never be grown in these islands on any large scale to compete with
the growers within the tropics, and that the expense of collecting
revenue would be out of all proportion to the amount collected. At the
same time, it ill becomes us as a Free-trading nation to shut out any
class of our own countrymen, by duties distinctly prohibitive, from
following a branch of agriculture which they think they could make
profitable. It is against our principle to offer a bounty on the forced
cultivation of exotics, such as tobacco undoubtedly is when grown in
these islands, but it would be still worse to maintain, on merely
pedantic grounds, a prohibitive import on a crop which many men think
the smaller tenants could produce to the great advantage of their
holdings. We are by no means sanguine of their success; but that is no
reason why they should not try.”
_Greece._—The production of tobacco in Greece is about 4 million _okes_
(of 2¾ lb.) annually. Patras, in 1878, exported 300 tons to Holland,
Austria, and Turkey, at a value of 25–30_l._ a ton. The values of the
exports from Syra, in 1879, were 3503_l._ to Great Britain, 2325_l._ to
Turkey, 88_l._ to the Danubian Principalities, 236_l._ to France,
554_l._ to Austria, 436_l._ to Egypt, 1605_l._ to Russia; and in 1878,
1528_l._ to Turkey, 1875_l._ to Great Britain, 93_l._ to the Danubian
Principalities, 441_l._ to Austria, 334_l._ to France, 266_l._ to
Russia, 39_l._ to Egypt.
In 1884, Nauplia exported 13,000_l._ worth of tobacco; and Calamata,
2400_l._ worth. The value at Patras was 45_s._ per cwt. Syra imported
439_l._ worth of tobacco and 305_l._ worth of tumbeki from Turkey; but
exported 10,459_l._ worth of tobacco to Turkey, 697_l._ worth to Great
Britain, 17,723_l._ worth to Egypt, 200_l._ worth to Russia, 120_l._
worth to Roumania, 2963_l._ worth to Italy, 1176_l._ worth to France,
and 200_l._ worth to Austria.
_Holland._—There were 4117 acres under tobacco in Holland in 1878, which
produced 3,132,875 _kilo._ The imports of tobacco into Holland in 1878
were as follows:—Maryland, 5249, Kentucky, 500, and Virginian, 107
hogsheads; Java, 87,998, seed-leaf, 100, Sumatra, 33,671 packages. In
1876 and 1877, there were 5900 and 3993 packages respectively from Rio
Grande. The exports of leaf from Holland in 1879 were 3,900,000 _kilo._
COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF THE IMPORTS OF THE VARIOUS KINDS
OF TOBACCO DURING THE FIVE YEARS 1879–83.
───────┬─────────┬─────────┬─────────┬──────────┬─────────┬─────────
│ │Virginia │ │ │ │
│Maryland.│ and │ Java. │Seed-leaf.│ Brazil. │Sumatra.
│ │Kentucky.│ │ │ │
───────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼──────────┼─────────┼─────────
│ Hhds. │ Hhds. │Packages.│ Packages.│Packages.│Packages.
In 1879│ 7,234│ 85│ 102,791│ 192│ 1,548│ 44,477
1880│ 4,775│ 147│ 34,037│ 1,007│ 339│ 52,151
1881│ 2,989│ 151│ 81,225│ 454│ 1,098│ 59,468
1882│ 3,405│ 26│ 103,384│ 905│ Nil.│ 73,444
1883│ 4,240│ 976│ 30,975│ 2,500│ 675│ 10,111
───────┴─────────┴─────────┴─────────┴──────────┴─────────┴─────────
_India._—An immense area is occupied in producing tobacco in India. In
Madras, Dindigul is the great tobacco district, and cheroots are
manufactured at Trichinopoli. The islands in the delta of the Godavari
also yield _lunka_ tobacco, the climate being suitable, and the plants
being raised on rather poor, light soil, highly manured and well
watered. Manilla seeds have been tried on the lower Palnai Hills, but
the Wynaad has proved to be the best locality. In Bombay, the Kaira and
Khandesh tobaccos are superior; altogether over 40,000 acres were under
the crop in this presidency in 1871–2, and the exports were 3 million
lb. Shiraz and Manilla seeds yield good plants in Gujrat and Khandesh.
The total areas under tobacco in 1871–2 were thus returned:—Bengal,
about 300,000 acres; Punjab, over 90,000; Oudh, 69,500; Rungpore, 60.000
(affording the so-called “Burma cheroots”); Central Provinces, 55,000;
Tirhoot, 40,000; Cooch Behar, 24,000; Mysore, 20,000; Dinagepore,
20,000; Purneah, 20,000; Behar, 18,500; Burma, 13,000; Monghyr,
9–10,000; Nuddea, 9–10,000. The best tobacco districts are said to be
Sandoway and the island of Cheduba, in Arracan; Rungpore, in Bengal; and
Bhilsa, in the Central Provinces. The results of many analyses of South
Indian tobaccos show that their ash seldom contains more than 5–6 per
cent. of carbonate of potash, while American range from 20–40 per cent.,
indicating the poverty of the Indian soils in this important ingredient.
It might, however, be supplied at moderate cost in the shape of
saltpetre, which is actually exported largely from the tobacco-growing
districts.
The bulk of the Indian tobacco exported consists of leaf, the kinds
chiefly shipped being the “Bispah” and “Poolah” varieties of the
Rungpore kind; the quantities of cigars and other manufactured tobacco
exported are very small. The exports in lb. for the four years 1875–79
were:—
───────────────┬────────────┬────────────┬────────────┬────────────
│ 1875–76. │ 1876–77. │ 1877–78. │ 1878–79.
───────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼────────────
Unmanufactured │ 22,861,711│ 10,508,720│ 10,594,604│ 13,279,158
Manufactured: │ │ │ │
Cigars │ 152,189│ 190,136│ 189,742│ 196,759
Other sorts │ 232,720│ 205,033│ 317,887│ 247,743
│————————————│————————————│————————————│————————————
Total │ 23,246,620│ 10,903,889│ 11,102,233│ 13,723,660
───────────────┴────────────┴────────────┴────────────┴────────────
On the other hand, a considerable quantity of manufactured tobacco,
averaging over 1½ million lb. yearly, is imported, showing that India is
still merely a producer of raw material, and is dependent upon other
countries for the manufactured article in a condition fit for
consumption. Even as regards the raw material, India might do a great
deal more than at present, for there would be a large and constant
demand on the continent of Europe for Indian leaf, if it could be
obtained of somewhat better quality. The French and Italian tobacco
departments are prepared to take Indian tobacco in large quantities, if
it can be supplied of a quality suited to their purposes; and there
would also be an extensive demand from Austria and Germany. Although the
shipments consist mainly of leaf tobacco, and that not of good quality,
tobacco manufacture is now making a promising beginning. In the
enterprise being carried on at Ghazipore, in the North-West Provinces,
and at Poosah, in Bengal, both the cultivation and manufacture are under
the supervision of skilled American growers and curers. Some of this
tobacco sent to the _Administration des Tabacs_ in Paris has been very
favourably reported on. The factory at Ghazipore is now turning out
about 500 lb. a day of all classes, the greater part being black
cavendish and honeydew, for the army. The machinery is capable of
turning out 3500 lb. a day, as soon as sufficient hands have been
trained.
Hitherto no Indian tobacco has realized any valuation approaching that
of American. The average price of the American “shipping tobacco” is
5–6_d._ a lb., higher classes of bright leaf from Virginia realize as
much as 7–13_d._ a lb., while the price of Indian tobacco has generally
been 1–2_d._ a lb. But the 15,000 lb. of Poosah leaf from the 1877 crop
reached England when American shipping leaf was at 4–5_d._ a lb., or 25
per cent. below the normal rate. The consignment was, moreover, packed
in rather damp order, and contained a quantity of moisture which caused
it to be assessed under the highest rate of the new tariff, which
imposes 3_s._ 10_d._ duty when the moisture is over 10 per cent.,
against 3_s._ 6_d._ under 10 per cent. This made a difference in the
value, estimated at 1_d._ a lb. The price obtained was 3¾_d._, which
would have been 4¾_d._ had the tobacco been drier, and the sale has been
followed by orders of large shipments.
The high prices, too, realized for the best samples of the 1876 and 1877
crops, indicate that Indian leaf can be turned out equal to the best
shipping tobacco from America. A tierce of strips from the 1876–77 crop
from Ghazipore sold for 7_d._ a lb., and the greater part of the rest
for 5_d._ or more, while a portion of the Poosah leaf of 1877–78 was
valued at 5_d._ when the market was 25 per cent. below normal rates.
These facts seem to guarantee future success, since the quantity of the
higher classes can be largely increased, and a greater portion of the
crop be brought to the same higher level. The chief point to be
ascertained was whether a sufficiently high level could be attained at
all. It has been attained. The cured leaf of 1878 is very much superior
to any hitherto turned out, especially that from Ghazipore. A new market
is not unlikely to open in France. The French Government have already
asked for a consignment for trial of 1000–1500 lb.
The reason why the manufacture of smoking-tobacco for Indian consumption
has occupied so large a share in the operations is, that the Indian
market, though small, pays far more handsome profits than the English
market.
The price paid for reasonably good American manufactured tobacco in
India ranges from one to three _rupees_ a lb. Ghazipore and Poosah
tobacco is sold at half that price, at a much higher profit than can be
obtained by sending cured leaf to England.
While Indian cured leaf can find a sale in the English market at prices
which will enable it to compete there with American cured leaf, Indian
manufactured leaf is proved to compete successfully with American
manufactured leaf in India itself, with a fair prospect of success in a
similar competition in the colonies. It may be stated in general terms
that 4_d._ a lb. for cured leaf in England, and 6–10 _annas_ for
manufactured leaf in India, will secure sufficient or even handsome
profits. The opening for profits will perhaps be better understood if it
is explained that 1_d._ a lb. represents an asset of about 5_l._ an
acre. The one great advantage which India has over America is cheap
labour. It is now proved that the leaf is, for all practical purposes,
as good as the American leaf, and there is hardly any doubt that America
cannot afford to send home leaf at the price at which India can sell.
The exports of tobacco from British India during the years 1874–5 to
1878–9 have been as follows:—
──────────────────┬──────────┬──────────┬──────────┬──────────┬──────────
│ 1875. │ 1876. │ 1877. │ 1878. │ 1879.
──────────────────┼──────────┼──────────┼──────────┼──────────┼──────────
Unmanufac- } lb.│33,411,504│22,861,711│10,508,720│10,594,604│13,279,158
tured │ │ │ │ │
Manufactured { lb.│ 425,040│ 384,909│ 395,169│ 507,629│ 444,502
No.│ 2,999,940│ ..│ ..│ ..│ ..
──────────────────┴──────────┴──────────┴──────────┴──────────┴──────────
The following letter from the manager of the Poosah tobacco farms,
Tirhoot, describes the system of growing and curing now adopted in
India.
“Preparation of Soil.—Tobacco land should be well-drained upland which
has lain fallow some time or that has had some light crop in it; this
land should be well manured with well-rotted manure. We plough our lands
twice monthly. Just before the time for transplanting the soil is
ploughed up and well pulverized by a henger or beam of wood drawn by
bullocks over the upturned soil so as to bend it and to break up any
lumps of earth. The soil should be sufficiently dry for this purpose so
as not to cake and harden.
“Seed-beds.—These should be made up in a suitable situation, that is,
protected from the afternoon sun, having some building or grove of trees
on the west side. The seed-beds should be raised some six inches off the
ground and have trenches dug all round so as to carry off any
superfluous moisture, the beds should be well worked with a kodalie and
good, rotted manure well worked in. After pulverizing the soil and
levelling it, pick off any stones or other rubbish and it will be ready
for sowing the seed. The size of the bed should be about 4 feet by 15
feet; this is more convenient than square beds, as it enables the plants
to be attended to without risk of destroying them by trampling on them.
“Sowing the Seed.—The seed is sown broadcast with the hand, mixed with
some sand or ashes so as to sow evenly; care should be taken not to sow
too thickly. About one chittak of seed ought to be found sufficient for
one of these beds which would furnish enough plants for one beegah of
land. After having sown and if there is a hot sun, it would be advisable
to cover the beds with light mats. This seed should germinate in seven
or ten days at least. American seed does; Sumatra takes much longer. The
plants may require watering, which should be done with a watering-can
with a rose, when the plants are well up and large. Only water seed-beds
in the evening. As soon as the seedlings have leaves of the size of a
penny, they are capable of bearing transplanting. Before taking up the
seedling to transplant, water the beds well an hour beforehand; this is
done to loosen the earth about the roots so that the plants may be taken
up without injury. To take up the seedlings they should be seized by the
under side of the two largest leaves by the finger and thumb, having one
leaf on each side, not by the stem, then pull up gently, taking care not
to break the leaves. They may then be placed in an open basket. When the
basket is full it should be covered with a cloth if the sun is hot, and
the seedlings slightly sprinkled with water and then carried off to
transplant. The seedlings are planted out in rows 3 feet by 2 feet
apart, for which purpose a knotted cord is used, the knots being 3 feet
apart. This cord is drawn by two men—one at each end. Across the field
or portion of the field at a distance of 2 feet from the outer edge, the
cord is drawn out and then trampled upon by coolies. The knots leave an
impression in the soil where the seedlings have to be planted. The cord
is then raised and put down again at another distance of 2 feet from the
first, and so on till sufficient land has been marked off. This work can
be done during the day, and the transplanting in the evening.
“Transplanting.—Transplanting should be done in the evening if there is
any sun; in cloudy weather it can be done all the day long. Rainy
weather is most suitable as it dispenses with watering and the plants
settle better. A boy takes a basket of seedlings and walks up the row,
dropping a plant here and there where the marks have been made; he is
followed by a man who makes a hole with a _kurpie_, into which he places
a seedling, and then presses the soil around the roots firmly with his
fingers, and then goes on with the rest. As transplanting can hardly be
done here without watering, a boy carrying a can without a rose follows
the man who is transplanting, and waters each plant he comes across;
but, as I mentioned above, if the transplanting could be done in rainy
weather, the watering would be unnecessary. When growing the young
plants require some attention. After the plants have been planted a week
or so, weather permitting, it is advisable to loosen and open the soil
around them with a kurpie, and also to eradicate weeds which may appear.
Later on a kodalie may be used to work the earth between the rows. As
soon as the plants have made growth and begin to throw out flower or
seed-heads, which will take place in about eight weeks or so, they
should be topped, viz. the flower heads should be broken off before they
flower in this way. The stem on which the head was found should be
seized about two to three feet from the ground and snapped clean off by
the hand or fingers. This topping will cause the plant to throw out
heavy leaves. The higher up the stem is broken off, so will the leaves
of the plant become thinner and smaller. We generally leave about ten to
twelve leaves to each plant. After topping, numerous suckers and
offshoots will spring up; these should be promptly broken off as soon as
they appear, as they take a lot of nourishment from the plant. The plant
ripens in about three months. We cut here in January, and none but ripe
plants should be cut.
“How to Cut Ripe Plants.—A tobacco plant is known to be ripe if the leaf
cracks when taken between finger and thumb and pressed, and also when
the leaves present a swollen appearance and have a heavy look. The stem
when cut is full of sap, very thin rind on edge, the leaves are carved
over and look mottled, the ribs of the plant get brittle, and are easily
broken off; when fully ripe, the plant is cut at one stroke close to the
ground. The best instrument to cut the plant with is a kurpie. When cut,
the plant is allowed to hang over on its side and wilt or droop in the
sun. This wilting takes from one to two hours according to the strength
of the sun. When sufficiently wilted (which is known when the plants
look drooping and the ribs can be bent slightly without breaking) the
plants are placed in a cart and taken to the curing-house. Plants should
not be cut in rainy or cloudy weather, as it is obvious the sun would
not be hot enough to wilt were the weather cloudy, and the rain washes
off the gum and thereby decreases the weight of the plant. Plants should
not be cut after the rain unless the gum has returned to the leaves,
which is known by their sticky, gummy feeling.”
The results of many analyses of the tobacco of South India show that the
ashes of these tobaccos seldom contain more than 5 or 6 per cent. of
potash carbonate, while the ashes of American tobacco contain from 20 to
40 per cent., proving the poverty of Indian tobacco soils in this
important plant-food—a plant-food, however, easily obtainable in the
shape of saltpetre, and at a moderate cost. But, though saltpetre is
largely exported from the tobacco-growing districts, it is never
employed as a manure for tobacco.
_Italy._—Tobacco is cultivated in Italy in the provinces of Ancona,
Benevento, Terra di Lavoro, Principato Citeriore, Terra d’Otranto,
Umbria, Vicenza, and Sardinia. The area and produce in the following
years were:—in 1870, 9544 acres, 67,192 cwt.; 1872, 12,256 acres, 82,349
cwt.; 1874, 8202 acres, 90,300 cwt. The exports from Naples in 1879 were
2006 _kilo._, value 401_l._
The British Consul at Cagliari reports that the cultivation of tobacco
is only carried on in the district of Sassari, and in the plains of
Sassari, Portotorres, Nurra, Sorso, and Sennori. No positive data on
this branch of industry can be had, it having been exclusively carried
on till 1883 by a private company, called the Regía Cointeressata.
Without fear of being wrong, it may be calculated that the tobacco
cultivators reach the number of 100, who employ during the period of
five months from 600 to 700 labourers; the plantation varies from
4,000,000 to 5,000,000 plants, producing a harvest from 2000 to 2500
_quintals_ of tobacco leaves, at a value of about 125,000 _lire_.
_Japan._—Japanese tobacco is well known in the London market, but it is
often in a soft condition, and then scarcely saleable. More care is
needed in drying it before packing.
_Java._—Tobacco, termed by the natives _tombáku_, or _sáta_, is an
article of very general cultivation in Java, but is only extensively
raised for exportation in the central districts of Kedu and Banyumas. As
it requires a soil of the richest mould, but at the same time not
subject to inundations, these districts hold out peculiar advantages to
the tobacco-planter, not to be found on the low lands. For internal
consumption, small quantities are raised in convenient spots everywhere.
In Kedu, tobacco forms, after rice, by far the most important article of
cultivation, and, in consequence of the fitness of the soil, the plant
grows to the height of 8–10 feet, on lands not previously dressed or
manured, with a luxuriance seldom witnessed in India. Cultivated here
alternately with rice, only one crop of either is obtained within the
year; but after the harvest of the rice, or the gathering of the tobacco
leaves, the land is allowed to remain fallow, till the season again
arrives for preparing it to receive the other. The young plant is not
raised within the district, but procured from the high lands in the
vicinity, principally from the district of Kalibéber, on the slope of
the mountain Diéng or Práhu, where it is raised and sold by the hundred
to the cultivators of the adjoining districts. The transplantation takes
place in June, and the plant is at its full growth in October. The
exports in the year 1877–8 were 212,500 _piculs_ to Holland, and 213 to
Singapore; in 1878–9, they were 248,566 _piculs_ to Holland, and 872 to
Singapore. The value of the export to Holland in 1879 was stated at
1,250,000_l._ The exports in 1884 were 140,351 _piculs_ to Holland, and
2490 to Great Britain.
_New Zealand._—This colony has not yet figured as a tobacco grower, but
the duty on locally produced tobacco is only 1_s._ a lb., and this is
expected to stimulate the home industry.
_Nicaragua._—It appears that the total exports of tobacco were 13,787
lb., value 4830 dollars, in 1883, but only 300 lb., value 240 dollars,
in 1884. At present it is a Government monopoly.
_Paraguay._—Consul Baker, of Buenos Ayres, states that one of the most
valuable crops of Paraguay is tobacco; in 1829, its production amounted
to only 2,675,000 lb., while in 1860, the crop amounted to 15,000,000
lb.; but the war with the allies almost ruined this source of wealth. It
has, however, somewhat recovered its importance, the exports alone last
year amounting to 8,975,000 lb. A large proportion of the crop is
annually worked up into cigars, a branch of industry which is almost
entirely in the hands of the women. The tobacco planted in Paraguay
originally came from Havana, with the exception of a particular kind
which is called in Paraguay, blue tobacco, _peti-hoby_, the origin of
which is unknown. The favourite leaf is a yellow tobacco, _peti-para_,
grown chiefly in Villa Rica, which possesses about 6 per cent. of
nicotine.
_Persia._—The whole of the eastern coast of the Black Sea, i. e.
Mingrelia, Lazistan, Abkhasia, and Circassia, is admirably suited for
tobacco cultivation. The country between Poti and Súkhúm Kalé contains
admirable sites for tobacco plantations, labour for which can be got
from Trebizond. A great demand for tobacco of good quality exists in the
country, and a practical planter should do well. A quantity of coarse,
badly-cured tobacco, of no commercial value, is produced in Imeritia and
Georgia. Great success has attended the culture in Ghilan. The first
seed introduced was from Samsoun; since then Yenija seed has been tried,
and some parcels attained the standard of the best Turkish tobacco. It
can be produced at about 20_s._ a _pood_ (of 36 lb.), giving a profit of
22_s._ a cwt. Hitherto the cultivation has been confined to the plains,
where both soil and atmosphere are damp, but it might be worth trying
the hill-skirts. About 2000 cwt. were produced in 1878. The exports of
tobacco, the produce of Ghilan, from Resht to Russia, were valued at
4615_l._ in 1878, and 6154_l._ in 1879. The values (in rupees) of the
exports in 1879 were 13,000 from Bushire, 73,500 from Lingah, and 35,000
from Bahrein.
At the time when I wrote the article on tobacco in Spons’ Encyclopædia,
the true source and history of an article called “tumbeki” was still in
doubt. From researches made at the instigation of my friend E. Morell
Holmes, F.L.S., the Curator of the Pharmaceutical Society’s Museum, it
is now clear that it is a Persian tobacco, and as such calls for mention
here. The following paragraph reproduces what I said on the subject in
Spons’ Encyclopædia.
“Tumbeki.—This word, under a multitude of forms, is the common name in
several Eastern languages (Bengali, Hindustani, Telugu, Sunda, Javanese,
Malayan, Persian, Guzerati, Deccan) for ordinary tobacco. But in Asia
Minor, it is applied to a narcotic leaf which is spoken of as distinct
from tobacco, and is separately classified in the Consular Returns.
Botanical authorities are at variance as to the plant which affords it,
some attributing it to a _Lobelia_, while others consider it a kind of
tobacco. The latter appears to be the more correct supposition. The
flower resembles the tobacco in being trumpet-shaped; the leaf is
broader, larger, and rounder than that of the tobacco raised in Turkey,
and is also wrinkled like the inner leaf of the cabbage. The plant is
raised from seed in nurseries, and when it has 4 or 5 leaves, is planted
out in April in the prepared field, and watered sparingly. It is ‘set’
in a day or two, and is then hoed occasionally to free it from weeds.
After inflorescence, and when the plant is sufficiently ‘cooked,’ it is
cut down, or pulled up bodily, and re-set in the ground till the leaves
are wilted. These leaves are dried, and, after exposure to the dew, are
pressed heavily, when they undergo a kind of fermentation which develops
the aroma. It is exceedingly narcotic: so much so, that it is usually
steeped in water before use, and placed in the pipe (a _narghilé_ or
water-pipe) while still wet. The exports of this article (the produce of
Persia) from the port of Trebizonde are considerable:—In 1877, they were
13,342 bales (of 1¾ cwt.), value 106,736_l._, to Turkey; in 1878, 11,571
bales, 92,568_l._, to Turkey; in 1879, 9659 bales, 77,272_l._, to
Turkey, and 866 bales, 6928_l._, to Greece. Aleppo, in 1878, sent 4
tons, value 320_l._, to Turkey, and 11 tons, 880_l._, to Egypt. The
exports of the article, the produce of the interior of Persia, from
Resht to Russia, were valued at 5000_l._ in 1877, and 3846_l._ in 1878.”
It will be interesting to compare this with Holmes’ paper read before
the Pharmaceutical Society on February 10, 1886:—
“Tumbeki is the name under which an article of regular commerce between
Persia and Turkey is mentioned in the consular reports, especially in
that for Trebizonde.
“Two or three years ago an inquiry was made at this institution
concerning the nature and botanical source of umbeki, and the only
information I was then able to give was that in the ‘Treasury of Botany’
tumbeky is stated to be the narcotic leaf of a species of lobelia.
“From its frequent occurrence in the Blue Books in the same list with
tobacco, and from the large quantities mentioned as an export from
Trebizonde, my correspondent suggested that it was probably something
used for smoking like tobacco. In the hope that tumbeki might prove to
be some drug possessing important narcotic or possible medicinal
properties, I wrote to Mr. A. Biliotti, Consul at Trebizonde, for
information. In reply, he forwarded samples of tumbeki of different
growths and qualities. This proved on examination to be unquestionably
some kind of tobacco, and being puzzled to know why it figured in the
Blue Books as a distinct article, I asked Mr. Thomas Christy, F.L.S., to
make inquiries for me in Persia. He received the following note through
Mr. Zanni, the well-known chemist at Constantinople, from whom I
received the following information:—
“‘There are three qualities of the teymbeki, all derived from the
_Nicotiana persica_.
“‘1. Shiraz teymbeki, valued at twenty gold piastres per oke.[A]
“‘2. Kechan teymbeki, valued at ten gold piastres.
“‘3. Teheran teymbeki, equal in value to No. 2.
“‘The Shiraz is the best quality, the leaves are four decimetres long
and half a decimetre wide. The leaves of the two other qualities are not
so large. The quantity of alkaloid in the leaves of teymbeki is more
than in the leaves of _Nicotiana Tabacum_; it is much used in
Constantinople, but more so in Egypt, Syria, and particularly in Persia.
Teymbeki is smoked in a special apparatus known as the narghileh.[B] The
apparatus is found in every coffee-house and even in a great number of
private houses. It resembles somewhat the wash bottle used in
laboratories for washing filters with distilled water, but is often made
of metal. The teymbeki is placed in a small reservoir on the top of the
flask and burns in contact with a piece of incandescent charcoal. The
vapour is drawn through the tube, which passes to the bottom of the
water and collects above it, whence it is inhaled through the longer
tube.[C] It is in fact a water-pipe.’
“Having ascertained then that tumbeki was a species of tobacco, I sought
for further confirmation of the statement that it is the produce of _N.
persica_, and wrote on the subject to Professor Hausknecht, who is well
known as one of the best authorities on the botany of Persia. He kindly
replied as follows:—
“‘Tumbeki is the produce of _Nicotiana rustica_, and is almost
exclusively used for the water-pipes called kalian or narghileh. The
plant is cultivated throughout the whole of Persia, especially in
Ispahan and Shiraz, whence the best kind comes.’
“But the statement of M. Zanni that tumbeki contains more alkaloid than
tobacco, and that of Professor Hausknecht that tumbeki is the produce of
_N. rustica_, seemed to conflict with the statements in books that _N.
rustica_ is less active than _N. Tabacum_.
“In the ‘Commercial Report,’ No. 25, 1883, p. 1056, under ‘Smyrna,’
Consul Dennis confirms M. Zanni’s statement concerning tumbeki. He
says:—‘It is much stronger than ordinary tobacco, and cannot be smoked
in the usual way, therefore it is exclusively used for the narghili.’ He
also adds that a large quantity is consumed in the district of Smyrna,
but much is also re-exported to Egypt and other parts of Turkey. It is
imported from Persia, both through Trebizonde and Bushire on the Persian
Gulf.
“Mr. J. B. Fraser, in his work on Persia (1826), remarks, ‘The tobacco
smoked in the kalian is called tumbaku in distinction to tootoon, or
that smoked in pipes or cigarettes. It is sold in the leaf, which is
packed dry in layers, and is preserved in bags sewn up in raw hide. It
improves by age, but is quite unsmokable the first year. The best comes
from Jaroum, south of Shiraz.’
“In an interesting article in ‘Harper’s Magazine’ (January 1886, p. 224)
on the ‘Domestic and Court Customs of Persia,’ the writer remarks
concerning tumbeki:—‘The kaliân or water pipe differs from the Turkish
narghileh by having a short straight stem. In it is smoked the tobacco
called tumbakee—a species grown only in Persia. That of Shiraz is very
delicate in flavour and is the best. The tumbakee must be first soaked
in water and squeezed like a sponge or it will cause vertigo. A live
coal, made from the root of the vine, is placed on the tobacco, and the
smoke is drawn through the water with a gentle inhaling, depositing the
oil in its passage through the water.’
“In De Candolle’s ‘Prodromus,’ vol. xii., pt. 1, p. 567, it is stated
under _Nicotiana persica_, that it yields the celebrated tobacco of
Shiraz. This species closely resembles _N. Tabacum_ in the form of its
leaves, which are, however, rather acute than acuminate; but the flowers
are different both in shape and colour. In _N. Tabacum_ the stem leaves
are sessile, and the corolla is funnel-shaped or inflated below the
limb, and is of a pinkish-red colour; in _N. persica_, the tube of the
corolla is club-shaped and the limb more spreading; the colour is white
inside and greenish outside. When in blossom, therefore, the two plants
are easily distinguished. _N. rustica_, on the other hand, has _stalked_
cordate leaves and a short yellowish corolla, with the tube and limb
both short.
“The leaves of tumbeki which I have received from Trebizonde and
Constantinople both correspond with _N. persica_ in character, but not
with _N. rustica_, since they have no trace of a petiole. So far as it
is possible to ascertain therefore, in the absence of flowers, the
weight of evidence is in favour of tumbeki being the produce of _N.
persica_. In order to ascertain the correctness of the statement that
tumbeki is stronger than tobacco, I handed some specimen to Messrs. E.
J. Eastes and W. H. Ince for chemical examination, which they kindly
undertook at my request.”
-----
Footnote A:
The oke equals ten kilogrames; a piastre, 2½_d._
Footnote B:
So called from its resemblance in shape to a _narghil_ or coconut.
Footnote C:
A full and interesting account of the forms and uses of the varieties
of the kalian and narghileh is given in the ‘Land of the Lion and the
Sun,’ p. 29.
-----
Following is the report of these gentlemen on the chemistry of the
subject:—
“Four samples of tumbeki were brought under our notice by Mr. Holmes,
Curator of the Museum of the Pharmaceutical Society, being of interest
on account of their reported greater strength in nicotine as compared
with tobacco. The following are the results of our investigations. We
may state that so far as we have been able to ascertain no previous
researches have been undertaken on the subject.
“Preliminary Examination.—The presence of an alkaloid was demonstrated
on the addition of the usual reagents to the acid infusion.