The Shiraz tobacco of Persia (Nicotiana Per sica) is much esteemed for the delicacy of its flavour, and its aromatic quality. In December the seed is sown in a dark soil, which has been slightly manured (red clayey soils will not do). To protect the seed and to keep it warm, the ground is covered with light thorny bushes, which are removed when the plants are three or four inches high ; and during this period the plants are watered every four or five days,— only, however, in the event of sufficient rain to keep the soil well moistened not falling. The ground must be kept until the plants are six to eight inches high, when they are transplanted into a well-moistened soil, which has been made into trenches for them • the plants being put on the top of the ridges ten or twelve inches apart, while the trenched plots are made so as to retain the water given. The day they are transplanted, water must be given to them, and also every five or six days subsequently, unless rain enough fall to render this unnecessary. When the plants have become from thirty to forty inches high, the leaves will be from three to fifteen inches long. At this period, or when the flowers are forming, all the flower capsules are pinched or twisted off. After this operation, and watering being continued, the leaves increase in size and thickness until the month of August or September, when each phuit is cut off close to the root, and again stuck firmly into the ground. At this sea,son of the year, heavy dews fall during the night ; when exposed to these, the colour of the leaves change from green to the desired yellow. During this stage, of course no water is given to the soil. When the leaves are sufficiently yellow, the plants are taken from the earth early in the morning, and while they are yet wet from the dew, are heaped on each other in a high shed, the walls of which are made with light thorny bushes, where they are freely exposed to the wind. While there, and generally in four or five days, those leaves which are still green become of the desired pale-yellow colour. Tlae stalks and centre stem of each leaf are now removed and thrown away, the leaves are heaped together in the drying-house for three or four days more, when they are in a fit state for packing. For this operation the leaves are care fully spread ou each other, and formed into cakes of sorts, the circumference from four to five feet, and three to four inches thick, great care being taken not to break or injure the leaves. Bags made of strong cloth, but thin and very open at the sides, are filled with these cakes, and pressed very strongly down on each other ; the leaves would be broken if this were not attended to. When the bags aro filled, they are placed separ ately in a drying-house, and turned daily. If the leaves bo so dry that there would be a risk of their breaking during the operation of packing, a very slight sprinkling of water is given them, to enable them to withstand it without injury. The leaf is valued for being thick, tough, and of a uniform light-yellow colour, and of an agreeable aromatic smell.
In the Panjab, iu the years 1871-72, 92,500 acres were under cultivation for tobacco, and 5114 mauuds were exported, valued at Rs. 29,184. The kinds of tobacco which are recognised are :— 1st. Kandahari. This is of a yellowish light colour, and has small indentated leaves like an onosma ; with this kind of tobacco molasses or gur is not mixed, but as it tastes sweet, there is probably a small quantity of honey mixed with it previously ; it is not twisted into any shape, but the broken leaf is left in little pieces. The stalk of the plant is uscd in this variety to make tobacco, just as much as the leaves, in fact there is more stalk than leaves. Kakar tobacco is also grown
at other places, and there is Lahori Kakar, Shikar puri Kakar, etc. The k-akar is known by its small size, and the leaves are more round than the others, which are long pointed.
2d. Baghdadi. The seed of this is very much sought after by cultivators, on account of the abundance of the produce. It is not imported from the place whose name it takes, but probably came originally from thence.
3d. Noki, so called from its pointed lanceolate leaves ; of this there are two sorts, the noki and the desi Panjabi.
4th. Lambli, a variety of which the leaves only are used ; the woody stalk is of no use.
5th. Zarda. This is the best quality of tobacco, being of the kind called noki.
6th. Purbi, from Hindustan, which is chewed with chunarn, supari (areca nuts), and catechu (kath) ; it is also smoked, but it is expensive.
7th. Baingani. This is very uncommon at Lahore ; it is so called because its leaves are shaped like those of the egg-plant fruit, Solanum melongcna.
8th. Surati, from Surat and Bombay ; it is strong and bitter like kakar.
The ground is carefully worked up by repeated ploughing, and manured with old dung and with saliferous earth where the soil is naturally deficient of salts.
Tobacco is grown in the highly-manured fields immediately around the village site, and brackish water is said to be the best with which to irrigate it. The seed is sown in the N. of India in Aug-ust and September, and transplanted in October. Its first leaf-plucking is in March ; a second is in May, yields about half that of the first crop.
The average produce of a bigba of 360 Bahl yards square, is 12 standard man of dry leaf, and of first quality, selling at Rs. 5 the man, rind Rs. 2 for the refuse stalk ; of inferior quality at 1?s. 3 the man.
In Oudh, the retail price of unmanufactured tobacco is Rs. 8 the man, and that of three qualities of manufactured tobacco for smoking, at 2 to 3 seers the rupee, at 5 to 6 seers, and at 13 to 14 seers the rupee.
In the Bombay Presidency, tobacco is largely produced in the Kaira and handesh districts. ln 1871-72, nearly 43,000 acres were under cultiva tion, and 3,262,000 lbs. were exported by sea to Bourbon, Mauritius, etc., valued at Rs. 5,64,485, and 112,000 lbs. were sent to other presidencies. Small quantities of the fine Gujemt tobacco were sent to the N.W. Provinces. In 1839, 31r. Elphin stone, collector of Ratnaglierry, grew some good tobacco from Shiraz and Kazeroon seed. About the same time, Dr. Gordon grew some at the llewra Gardens from American and Persian seed. The Shiraz and Havannah species were grown at Baroach.
In the Madras Presidency, the most celebmted of its tobaccos are grown in the Northern Circars, and on some of the low sandy islands or Lank6 formed at the mouths of the river Krishna, also in the delta of the Godavery, where the soil is peculiarly rich and fertile, the product being known as Lanka tobacco. For Lanka cigars, the Nicotiana rustica is still grown on the islets of the Godavery, where the cultivation is rapidly increasing and is rather famous. The tobaccos of Trichinopoly and Dindigul are celebrated, and aro manufactured into cheroots for Europeans.
The Dindigul tobacco is grown on a carefully cultivated red loam. Some of the highest-priced tobacco is grown on the rich dry land, but it is too pungent for smoking. The vicinity of villages and the back yards of houses are much utilized. Heavy rains injure the quality ; and as manures, the droppings of goats and sheep are used, also ashes, cattle - dung, urine, sweepings, and in Nellore saline earth.