At the risk of being ostracized from this group for posting about cigars (and other tobacco), I'm posting this anyway. This is taken from a book published in 1888.
Chewing Tobacco
Is used both in the "plug " form and as "fine cut," and in some
localities preference is given to the one, while little of the other
is sold. The New England and some of the Western States take their
chewing tobacco largely in plugs, while the Middle States take
more kindly to the fine cut. Detroit has a national reputation for
the manufacture of fine cut tobaccos, which are extensively sold
in tin foil and paper packages, and in bulk, in pails, etc. There
are many hundreds of brands of chewing tobacco, both plug and
fine cut. Some are the natural leaf, while others are sweetened;
so that the most diversified tastes may be satisfied.
Smoking Tobacco.
North Carolina, Virginia, and Kentucky are foremost among the
States in the manufacture of the smoking tobaccos, which are
almost infinite in variety and sold in all sorts of packages. Among
them are the "Long" and "Shortcut," "Navy Clippings, ""Granulated,"
"Nigger Head," "Sweet Spun Roll," "Golden Cavendish,"
"Durham," "Fruits and Flowers," "Seal of North Carolina,"
"Seal of Virginia," and many others, besides imported
varieties, as Persian, Latakia, Havana, etc. In addition to smoking
tobaccos, many grocers keep a full assortment of pipes, from
the common clay up, through all kinds of briar and applewood
pipes to the genuine meerschaum goods of every style and quality.
Cigars.
The value of a cigar depends not only on the quality of the
leaf, but largely also on the mode of manufacture. If rolled top
Iwird or too loosely, it will burn badly.
Why a Cigar Should Burn Well.
The best burning leaves must be used for wraps; if not, the
air has no access to the inside burning parts, and the empyreumatical
substances are volatilized without being decomposed. Such
cigars make much smoke and smell disagreeable. If the cigar
burns well, more of the nicotine is consumed and decomposed.
Cigars, therefore, which contain little nicotine and burn poorly,
are more narcotic in their effects than well burning cigars which
contain a greater quantity of nicotine. Hence, the leaves of the
Connecticut or "Seed leaf" tobacco, which burn freely and well,
are much used for wrappers for cigars filled with Havana tobacco.
Within recent years, however, the handsome leaved Sumatra
tobacco is quite largely used for wrappers upon medium priced
cigars, as it burns better than Cuban tobacco.
Quality of Cigars.
The real excellence of a very high-priced cigar is not in proportion
to its cost, which depends largely on its size and the fancy
of the buyer. For instance, a 50-cent cigar will burn no better
nor be much, if any more fragrant than a 25-cent cigar. It may
be larger, and the large Havana leaves, free from veins and suitable
for use as wrappers for fine, large cigars are so scarce and
high, as to enhance their cost out of all proportion to that of an
equally well flavored, though smaller cigar. In fact, 10 or 15
cents should procure as good a medium sized cigar as average
people care to smoke. The dude's dollar cigar is not much, if any
better, except as fancy makes it so.
Many of the 5-cent cigars sold so extensively, contain a large
proportion of Havana tobacco, and make a fairly fragrant and
pleasant smoke. It is said that there are upwards of 100,000 open
and proprietary brands of cigars on the market.
Cigarettes.—The sale of these little paper tubes filled with
tobacco, has grown enormously within a few years and is still increasing..
It is whispered that the ladies even, sometimes seek to find
in them a whiff of the solace and comfort their brothers and
husbands find in the pipe or cigar. There are many favorite
brands on the market.
Snuff.—This article which is made from the stems and refuse
of the tobacco, or largely so, is comparatively little used in this
country ; but in some sections, and especially in the South it is
sold to a considerable extent. It comes in bulk and in jars, bottles,
bladders, and packets. Among the varieties are *' Carolina
Sweet " and plain Scotch Snuff, Maccaboy and coarse French
Rappee, scented or plain.
If you have read down to here you have seen the reference to 'Nigger Head' tobacco. I had never heard of that before today. A quick netsearch (I don't google or even Google), shows the advertising and some early packaged cigarettes at:
http://usslave.blogspot.com/2011/02/nigger-head-tobacco.html
Chewing Tobacco
Is used both in the "plug " form and as "fine cut," and in some
localities preference is given to the one, while little of the other
is sold. The New England and some of the Western States take their
chewing tobacco largely in plugs, while the Middle States take
more kindly to the fine cut. Detroit has a national reputation for
the manufacture of fine cut tobaccos, which are extensively sold
in tin foil and paper packages, and in bulk, in pails, etc. There
are many hundreds of brands of chewing tobacco, both plug and
fine cut. Some are the natural leaf, while others are sweetened;
so that the most diversified tastes may be satisfied.
Smoking Tobacco.
North Carolina, Virginia, and Kentucky are foremost among the
States in the manufacture of the smoking tobaccos, which are
almost infinite in variety and sold in all sorts of packages. Among
them are the "Long" and "Shortcut," "Navy Clippings, ""Granulated,"
"Nigger Head," "Sweet Spun Roll," "Golden Cavendish,"
"Durham," "Fruits and Flowers," "Seal of North Carolina,"
"Seal of Virginia," and many others, besides imported
varieties, as Persian, Latakia, Havana, etc. In addition to smoking
tobaccos, many grocers keep a full assortment of pipes, from
the common clay up, through all kinds of briar and applewood
pipes to the genuine meerschaum goods of every style and quality.
Cigars.
The value of a cigar depends not only on the quality of the
leaf, but largely also on the mode of manufacture. If rolled top
Iwird or too loosely, it will burn badly.
Why a Cigar Should Burn Well.
The best burning leaves must be used for wraps; if not, the
air has no access to the inside burning parts, and the empyreumatical
substances are volatilized without being decomposed. Such
cigars make much smoke and smell disagreeable. If the cigar
burns well, more of the nicotine is consumed and decomposed.
Cigars, therefore, which contain little nicotine and burn poorly,
are more narcotic in their effects than well burning cigars which
contain a greater quantity of nicotine. Hence, the leaves of the
Connecticut or "Seed leaf" tobacco, which burn freely and well,
are much used for wrappers for cigars filled with Havana tobacco.
Within recent years, however, the handsome leaved Sumatra
tobacco is quite largely used for wrappers upon medium priced
cigars, as it burns better than Cuban tobacco.
Quality of Cigars.
The real excellence of a very high-priced cigar is not in proportion
to its cost, which depends largely on its size and the fancy
of the buyer. For instance, a 50-cent cigar will burn no better
nor be much, if any more fragrant than a 25-cent cigar. It may
be larger, and the large Havana leaves, free from veins and suitable
for use as wrappers for fine, large cigars are so scarce and
high, as to enhance their cost out of all proportion to that of an
equally well flavored, though smaller cigar. In fact, 10 or 15
cents should procure as good a medium sized cigar as average
people care to smoke. The dude's dollar cigar is not much, if any
better, except as fancy makes it so.
Many of the 5-cent cigars sold so extensively, contain a large
proportion of Havana tobacco, and make a fairly fragrant and
pleasant smoke. It is said that there are upwards of 100,000 open
and proprietary brands of cigars on the market.
Cigarettes.—The sale of these little paper tubes filled with
tobacco, has grown enormously within a few years and is still increasing..
It is whispered that the ladies even, sometimes seek to find
in them a whiff of the solace and comfort their brothers and
husbands find in the pipe or cigar. There are many favorite
brands on the market.
Snuff.—This article which is made from the stems and refuse
of the tobacco, or largely so, is comparatively little used in this
country ; but in some sections, and especially in the South it is
sold to a considerable extent. It comes in bulk and in jars, bottles,
bladders, and packets. Among the varieties are *' Carolina
Sweet " and plain Scotch Snuff, Maccaboy and coarse French
Rappee, scented or plain.
If you have read down to here you have seen the reference to 'Nigger Head' tobacco. I had never heard of that before today. A quick netsearch (I don't google or even Google), shows the advertising and some early packaged cigarettes at:
http://usslave.blogspot.com/2011/02/nigger-head-tobacco.html
