“There are good and bad years; abundant and scanty crops in succession.
“Except in the case of the few rich owners of plantations in the best districts, brands and names are no guarantees for a permanently good article. Even these favoured few are exposed to bad seasons, if in a minor degree than less fortunate holders.
“There has been no really fine-flavoured aromatic leaf harvested since 1881. Much of that since garnered has been simply bad.
“Great hopes are entertained of the coming 1885 crop, and present indications are in favour of this assumption.
“The manner in which the wholesale trade is carried on in Havana is incomprehensible to an ordinary outsider, to whom it would appear that the manufacturers prefer a prospective loss abroad to a present and certain gain here. They will only execute orders, large or small, for cash over the counter, giving no, or in some cases the smallest, discount. No manufactured goods are kept in stock, but are made to order after sample, and, unless examined in warehouse before delivery, and that means little, must be paid in full on delivery, and the consequence but too frequently is that, on arrival at their destination, they do not correspond with the sample, and the deluded buyer finds that he has made a bad bargain, and (if an Englishman) discovers that he could have bought the same article cheaper in the English market with the additional advantage of examining and testing the goods before purchase.
“I leave the solution of this enigma to the initiated: it probably is that the makers consign very largely, and London importers are too experienced and too wary to pay the full invoice price until well acquainted with the wares, or they get large discounts refused to the cash purchaser in Havana.
“Complaints are heard of the depressed state of the Cuban tobacco trade and of the large unsold stocks on hand. I do not think the traders deserve sympathy, nor have they done anything to earn the confidence of foreign customers. My experience leads me to advise intending purchasers to put (I do not advise regular traders) themselves in the hands of reliable London dealers and avoid all direct purchases.
“Intelligent smokers with sensitive palates will find no cheap tobacco here fit to smoke; 50s. per 100 and upwards is what must be paid at present for really fine-flavoured aromatic cigars; beyond 80s. or 85s. prices become fancy ones, and are paid for the smart cases and envelopes. Even at the rates I quote it is not easy to find what is wanted. There is abundance of dark powerful tobacco of fine quality at much lower rates, but not light tobacco with flavour or aroma or without strength, such as the educated (I allude to taste) Englishman seeks. I believe that only about 10 per cent. of the tobacco harvested in ordinary years is of the light colour I refer to, hence the difficulty in supplying the demand, and the artifices resorted to to supply the deficiency.
“Cuba’s annual tobacco crop may be estimated as between 300,000 and 400,000 tercios of 125 lb. each. About 30,000 persons are employed in its cultivation, and its value when harvested may be fixed (according to year’s quality) at between 8,000,000 and 12,000,000 dol. of 4s.
“I cannot estimate the number of persons engaged in working plantation (Vegueros) and other cigars for home consumption, nor the quantity thus consumed; but the higher class of operatives employed in cigar-making for export number about 20,000, and turn out at present probably 200,000,000 cigars annually.