For the purpose of protecting the reputa tion of tobaccos and cigars produced in Cuba, a law was passed on 16 July 1912, providing for a national collective trade mark on the containers of all tobaccos and tobacco products intended for export, under heavy penalties, and in consequence the Bureau of Agriculture, Com merce and Labor registered a distinctive mark for each, ((tobaccos and cut tobacco* and "cigars manufactured in Cuba.* Paraguay.- The most widely cultivated, al though not the most important, crop in Para guay is tobacco. Its production was formerly carried on on an extensive scale, and a ready market was found in Europe, particularly in Germany, but due to internal troubles its acre age decreased and until recently it was prac tically unknown beyond the Paraguayan bor ders. It is now under the special patronage of the Banco Agricola, the government institu tion concerned with betterment of agricultural matters. Soils have been analyzed, seeds from Cuba introduced and scientific instruction given as to the cultivation and handling to meet the demands of export buyers. In 1910 a regula tion was passed providing for the classification under the Tobacco Revision Office ?Oficina Revisadora de Tobacos) as follows: °Pito,* °Media? "Regular,* "Buena,"Doble,* "Para la,* Para and aFuerte,* the °Pito* to "Buena* being mild, and "Doblep to "Para* strong, to standardize the production and pre vent fraud, unclassified exports being subject to a special export tax.
The exports in 1900 amounted in pounds to 6,590,644,• 1901, 5,103,265; 1902, 6,200,014; 1903, 7,012,870; 1904, 9,997,724; 1905, 7,980,119; 1906, 5,076,104; 1907, 3,391,762; 1908, 10,977,164; 1909, 10,580,998; 1910, 11,259,230; 1911, 14,219, 781; 1912, 8,842,216; 1913, 11,897.609; 1914, 9,908,921; and 1917, 13,479,000. The great bulk of the lighter grades is exported to Europe, more than half going to Amsterdam and Bremen, being in large part destined for the Spanish trade. Of the heavier grades Argentina is the greatest buyer.
Chile.- In the year 1913 there were under cultivation in Chile 3,430 acres of tobacco, producing 8,523,645 pounds. For 1914, with a slightly smaller acreage, the production was 6,282,228 pounds. All of this was consumed in the republic. In addition there were imported, in 1913, 411,031 pounds of tobacco, valued at $456,384, of which 115,181 pounds were ciga rettes, valued at $229,032; 67,623 pounds cigars, valued at $111,943 ; 156,762 pounds, leaf to bacco, valued at $77,913; and 71,465 pounds cut tobacco, valued at $41,406. The cigarettes were imported from 16 countries, of which France supplied 27,119 pounds, Belgium, 25, 097 pounds, Cuba, 24,286 pounds, Great Britain, 19,923 pounds, Germany, 9,217 pounds, the re minder from other countries, the United States being credited with 888 pounds. Of the cigars,
Cuba supplied 36,854 pounds; Italy, 7,553 pounds; Germany, 8,305 pounds; France, 3,640 pounds; Panama, 3,494 pounds; Great Britain, 3,225 pounds; and Belgium, 3,045 pounds, the remainder being distributed among seven other countries, the United States supplying 547 pounds. Of the leaf tobacco, Cuba supplied 131,548 pounds; Germany, 11,224 pounds; the United States standing third with 3,741 pounds; the remainder being distributed among eight other countries. Of the cut tobacco, Cuba sup plied 22,297 pounds; France, 14,850 pounds; Belgium, 11,173 pounds; Great Britain, 11,164 pounds; the United States standing fifth with 6,292 pounds, the remainder being distributed among six other countries. According to the United States Commerce Reports, the imports in 1914 of leaf tobacco amounted to $66,135, cut tobacco $40,369, cigars $78,876 and ciga rettes $157,106, a total of $342,486; and in 1915, the imports of leaf and cut tobacco amounted to $129,377.
In 1913 there were 192 tobacco factories in Chile, of which 59 were located in Valparaiso and 61 in Santiago, 129 being of Chilean owner ship and 63 belonging to foreigners. The num ber of persons employed was 1,960, and the value of their production, from foreign and domestic leaf, was $3,338,807. The greater part of the manufactures was of cigars, with a small portion of cigarettes, and a still smaller one of smoking tobacco. The favorite form of tobacco is the cigarette, the domestic being the cheapest. Of the foreign brands, nearly all the well known English cigarettes are sold, as well as the French, Italian, Cuban, Turkish and Egyp tian, the black Cuban type being a favorite by a large percentage. Of cigars, the Cuban and Mexican are most popular. Due to the war many of the lighter brands of European cigars and cigarettes have been unobtainable, a deficiency that is beginning to be supplied by the United States.
With proper encouragement, Colombia promises to be one of the important tobacco producing countries of America, as the plant thrives in almost every portion of the country. It is even claimed that certain small sections produce a quality rivaling the Cuban tobacco. Due, however, to the failure to adopt approved scientific methods of raising, handling and grading, the qualities of the better grades are not uniform from year to year, and for export purposes the whole crop is considered under one standard - a leaf of average quality, largely used as filler. The country produces more than sufficient for domestic consumption, quantities being raised near the coast and in the department of Santander, while the leaf of the best quality comes from the district of Ambalema, where also the greatest quantity of tobacco is found.