|
Cuba
& Cigars
Preparation
of the Land
Few
regions in the world like Cuba have temperature, humidity and appropriate
soil so that a seed become a plant whose leaves can be used to elaborate
a pure cigar of high bonus and prestige in the world market. The
tobacco plant belongs to the family of the solanaceous, from America;
its root is fibrous, the stem from 5 to 12 cm of height (hairy and
with white marrow), alternate, big and glutinous leaves; the flowers
in cluster form with the tubular chalice and red or pale yellow
corolla.
The
lands of the best dark tobacco in the world are located in the westernmost
part of the island of Cuba, in Vuelta Abajo in its famous tobacco
plantations, particularly those of San Luis and San Juan, because
in these famous regions are produced the three fundamental elements
for elaborating a cigar that can not be equalled, these leaves receive
the names of filler, binder and wrapper.
It
has been proved that the best wrapper leaves of the world are the
ones produced in Cuba, because they conjugate harmoniously indicators
of presence (extrinsic quality) with very appropriate tenors of
chemical components, such as nicotine and others (they constitute
the intrinsic quality). In general it is considered that the Cuban
wrappers have superior characteristics if we compare them with the
best that are produced in other countries. For obtaining this wrapper,
tobacco workers cover the field with awnings of cotton canvases,
in order to protect the plants from the excess of sun, wind and
parasites, and to guarantee the appropriate quality of the leaves.
The
technological process of tobacco begins with the selection and preparation
of the lands; those having very marked slopes won't be used in order
to avoid dragging. The roots of the tobacco plants are very delicate
and they require good lands. For that reason, the tobacco planter
plows his fields repeated times, transforming the vegetation into
a natural nutrient for the soil. In order to avoid that the structure
of the soil be changed, they only use animal traction. The following
step is the sowing of the plants.
The yoke of oxen, the plow and the rake
or comb, fundamental tools of the Cuban peasant
The oxen
The Cuban peasant and mainly the tobacco producer plows the lands
with animal traction and it consists on yoking two oxen, which are
united by a carved wooden piece called yoke, for the jars, and a
cushion (yoke pad for draught-oxen) in the forehead that is the
center of traction of this singular couple to pull the plow or the
tool that is used.
The peasant shows us the frontil (yoke pad for draught-oxen)
and the yoke, tools with which the oxen are yoked, the frontil is
the cushion that each ox keeps in the forehead because these animals
pull with the forehead and not with the jars as many people think,
these additions are tied to the jars of the oxen with a rope that
in Cuba the peasant calls cabuya.
Finally this couple is united this way to pull the
plow or any other implement that be necessary. The ox-driver controls
the animals with voices and the guides that are tied to the noses
of the oxen with metal rings.
The ring, holds up the guides
The
plow
In Cuba the peasant uses two types of plows, the Creole or wooden
plow, and the metal plow or American plow.
The
Creole or wooden plow at present is only used to furrow
the earth before sowing and later to mark the furrow before hoeing
the tobacco plants, this furrow makes that the earth loosen, it
facilitates this way the work of hilling around the plants and the
growth of the roots of the plants.
This
plow is made of wood almost completely; except a screw that regulates
the depth and a metal grill that is the one that breaks the earth.
The yoke of oxen, the plow and the rake
or comb, fundamental tools of the Cuban peasant
The American plow is the most used
in Cuba by peasants for breaking the lands for the sowing of tobacco
or any other cultivation.
This important tool is made of metal (iron) and
is made up of many pieces all changeable, although those that they
need to change the most are the grill, the mould-board of the plow
and the cover of the grill.
With this plow of animal traction the farmers can
make furrows in the earth with a depth that oscillates from 10 cm
to 30 or 35 cm and a width of some 35 cm approximately.
These pictures show how to use the American plow.
The rake or comb that is made of wood with metal
pins, is also made of metal at present because it lasts more than
the wooden one, this tool is used after having plowed the earth
to eliminate the irregularities of the land and to pick up impurities
(grass and small bushes), whose cycle of decomposition and reincorporation
to the soil like organic material takes a long time.
The rake is pulled by the oxen; in some cases the
peasant puts some heavy objects on it so that the pins or teeth
penetrate more in the earth.
In Cuba the preparation of the earth carried out
with manual traction lasts about 80 or 100 days and the technology
used is not very aggressive for the environment, because mechanical
traction is less used, then the work in the soil is reduced at about
45 days approximately, and they work in the field when the humidity
of the ground is in optimum conditions.
The preparation of the lands begins in July and
it extends until November in the case of the seedbeds, in this case
if they begin in July they plant tobacco in September. The work
in the plantations begins at the end of August and it concludes
at the end of January, for example if they are going to plant tobacco
at the end of October the work begins at the end of August.
Next
is shown a suggestion of technology of working the land with animal
traction to plant tobacco for cigar filling in the first fortnight
of November. They begin the breaking of the ground from September
1 to 15 and 25 or 30 days later is carried out the first work with
the rake, from October 1 to 15 is carried out the second work with
the plow that receives the name of crossing, the process continues
with the second work with the rake carried out between October15
to 30.
Back
to Cigars Home >>
Links
& Sources:
|
