Tobacco Secrets.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXVII, Issue 24, 15 December 1906, Page 37

Tobacco Secrets.

By far the greater portion of the tobacco consumed in Great Britain is imported nnmaniifact ureil, for the very good reason that the duly demanded by the inland Revenue authorities is eon-.-iderably less than for the jnannfaetured article.

In the factory the leaf is separated and laid in a great pile to be watered, to render it fit. for stripping. This is done entirely by women and giriy. who strip the leaves off the stem, or midrib, by a dexterous movement of the hands.

It is now nceesiry Io delennina what should become of the leaves—wliel- - they should be made into cigars, into cut. tobacco like shag, or into cake or twist, like Cavendna oi pigtail. For these various purposes the leaves arc carefully sorted—the finest textured with the best colour and most pleasant aroma being put aside for cigars; and the remainder sorted into their various qualities and colours—that is, light for mild tobacco, dark for strong, and sq ou. ' Numberless as are the names of ent tobaccos, their difference exists e'i'y :» their method of treatment such as mixing, scenting, and si forth-for, roughly, they can lie divided into three, great classes as follows: Shag, prepare I from a mild or strong variety of leaf, returns from broke.i and rejected pieces and siftings; and bird’s eye, from leaves from which the midrib has not been remove 1, but is cut up with the leaf, seen by th-! oght coloured ““eyes” so noticeable in this variety. The cake and twist tobaccos undergo different treatm-. nl.. The leaves, after bring stripped -ill' the midrib, are “‘sauced/’ fi in elite J, laid u)-u oaie another, and pressed into cakes. In this pressing a liquor exudes which forms the “sauce.” Twist tobacco, like pigtail, is different in that instead of being made into tikes it is twisted either by hand or a spinning wheel. Both cake and twist, however, are oiled with sweet oil to prevent sticking. The fragments of 'caves and cuttings, known as “tillers.” are taken up and rolled between the fingers, and then surrounded with '!.iv; wrapper, beginning at the lighting end and finishing at the mouthpiece, and finally gummed down securely. After trimming and lul'i.ig to length, the cigars are ‘.lien, with the label", tied into bundles or packed in boxes, mid placed in heated rooms to season. Snuff is made from midribs or stalks by being placed, after fcrntcn'alion, in large conical iron niortus lined with, wood, and ground with heavy pestles driven slowly round until th! mass is reduced to a dust of the required fineness. The ebni-aetcrislie aronns are secured by roasiung, fl.ivoiut.tig; and various “doetorings.” And now a word as to adulleraiion. Though manufacturers! are liable to a penalty of £2OO if found having upon their premises a number of things so widely diverse as treacle and lime, herbs and ochre, lampblack and chicory. adulteration is still practised, alt.ioug‘l not nearly so much as in years past, when the articles mentioned and inmnniable others were largely used. As to the harmfnlness of cigars when manufactured, much has been sai-1 1 bat is wise—and otherwise. Nieotine, a pungent poison, of course, we do po« .ess in quantities from 1 to 0 per eent. Nearly all ILS. varieties contain about 4 to 5 per cent, while good Havana, and < tih-i sorts contain only 2 to 3 per cent. Fortunately for you, a large quantify of this nicotine is consumed or destroyed in the burning, so that it is impossible for the whole of it. to become absorbed in your system. Fortunately, beeanr* every cigar contains enough poison la kill two men. ‘Fenny Pictorial.’