The Tobacco Trade.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 5029, 10 June 1889, Page 3

The Tobacco Trade.

Tobacco-growers are threatened with opposition. In Faria, London, and other large cities the finest tea leaf ia prepared and cub into a smoking mixture, more especially for cigarettes. Tea loaves from the teapot after being dried have been in use many years among poor men for smoking purposes when money has run short for the purchase of tobacco. I overheard an old housewife in Manchester some years ago complain to a neighbour of her improvident husband ; “ Ho drink his ’bacca money and then robs my teapot for his smoke.” Farisian ladies boldly aver their preference for lea cigarettes. They state that the effect of smoking orange Pekoe, or the cowslip flavoured young Hyson leaves is for the time more soothing even than drinking the infusion. If tea smoking takes hold of the people it will mean a serious blow to the tobacco sellers, as the price of tea in this country is at least one sixth that of tobacco. Already speculators are contracting with the large hotels for the purchase of their exhausted tea leaves. These, when chemically treated, can be made to resemble tobbacco so closely in texture, appearance, taste, and smell that none but experts can detect the difference.