My first real paying job was picking wrapper tobacco used for Macanudo cigars.  When I reached the age of 14, my father sent me off to work.  Each morning I would stuff my lunch bag with as many P&J sandwiches I could. A frozen soda or two wrapped in tin foil was a must. We would get ourselves to the bus stop by 6:00AM in the morning and wait for the bus that would transport us to the Culbro Tobacco Farms in Bloomfield, CT.  My partner and I would starting picking by 7:00AM. This was a nasty time of the day because the leaves still had dew on them. By the end of the first row you were soaking wet! By the afternoon, the temperature had risen to 100 degrees under the cloth.  We were paid by the amount of tobacco we picked each day...this was called "piece work".   On a good day we would pick 200 bents and earn as much  as $100 a week. This was a lot of money at the time, but we earned every bit of it! When ever I smoke a Macanudo, I remember the time and effort that goes into making this mild cigar.