Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-05-15

putting it on the sticks, and conveying II TO The
place Of housing it. Ii the tobacco house be so
constructed as to admit the wagons to pass
through the centre, additional facilities will be
furnished for transferring the tobacco to the place
where it is 10 be cured
Tobacco plants may be split during the heat OF
the day without injury. 1t is only liable TO be
sun burned after it is cut Aud hence the split.
ting process may progress, while part Of the hands
arc engaged in hanging that which was cut in the
morning. When the afternoon has so Ear pro.
crossed that tobacco may safely be cut without
the risk Of sun burning (Which is usually about
four or five o'clock in August, and somewhat
earlier in September) the cutting process should
commence, and be completed as aeon as possible,
so as TO give time for the plants 10 fall sufficiently
to be handled TIE same evening, or the next day,
before the sun attanes sufficient power TO inure
them. The fist cutting Of the afternoon, in the
early part OF the season, can usually he hauled
and hung the same evening. That part Of i;
which has not sufficiently fallen to be handled
without brusing or breaking, should be red
to lie in the field, without heapng till the next
day.
1t is usual, when there is not time to hang all
the tobacco during the same evening it is cut, to
let part Of it lie over ill morning, to be hung
while the dew is drying off that in the field
That may be done TO advantage il hauled on
sleds, provided care be taken to prevent it from
heating during the eight If suffered to lie in
large hea ps, it will be greatly Injured in the
course of one night TO guard against this cas-
ualty, it should be spread in long rows not more
than three Or four plants deep, when the weather
is very warm. In cool weather the danger Of
heating is not so great. A little experience will
teach the tobacco planter to guard against the
casualty Of which | have been speaking. i, is
very important that this should be done as it is
completely ruinous to so much Of the tobacco as
may become heated to high degree, as II will do
if suffered to lie in large heaps over night.
There are two modes Of treating tobacco when
it is cut one is 10 hang it the scaffods exposed
to the weather; the other is 10 hang it at once in
suitable houses,
The former method must, of necessity, be re.
sorted to where there is scarcity OF house rooms
BY hanging some time on a scalfoId the tobocco
commences curing and can be slowed much closer
in house than it can be with safety, when first
cut. But it is subject to serious disadvantages
Those parts which are exposed to the sun are
liable TO be sun burned, and much Of it may
therefore, be injured OH the scaffold. Another
injury, and most material one, is, that If suffered
10 remain on the scafold till The leaves begin to
cure, they are liable to be injured by the dews
which fall every night and still more by a rain,
il one should happen to fall. If the tobacco is
housed from the scafold before it begins TO cure,
not much is gained in point Of room when slowed
in the tobacco house. If suffered to hang on the
sca(lod till partly cured, it may be much injured
| by rain and dews.
The safest way, therefore, is to put it in houses
or under sheds, soon as it is cut But here
again care must be taken to avoid another casu.
atty, that Of being house-burned. 1t is stated in
the Farmers Guide, page 265, that If it is inten.
ded "lo cure by fire the tobacco is carried imme-
diaely from the field TO the house, hung on sticks
crowded as close together on the tier as they can
possibly be- so as to exclude all air from the to-
bacco. 1t remains in this situation until the
leaves OF the plants become yellow, or Of the
color OF hickory leaves just before they fall -
This will generally happen in four or five days,
when The sticks must be spread and placed al
their proper distances in the house." There
never was q greater error than that contained in
the above extract. Tobacco thus housed, would
be completely ruined long before the five days
should have elapsed. If intended to be cured
without fire, the house should be as opan as pos
sibe, for the free admission Of air. The sticks
on which he tobacco is hung should be placed
from eight 10 twelve inctes apart according to
the size OF the tobacco, SO tat the ar could cir
culac freely between the ranges OF sticks. 1t
should be continued in this open order until he
tobacco is partially cured, when it may be re
hung in much closer order, 50 as to make room
for the later cutting. If hung in open sheds
with tight roofs so much the better, SO that the
rain is prevented from beating in on the tobacco,
which may be done by setting up fence rails or
rough plank against the open sides of the shed.
If intended TO be cured by fire, the house
should be rendered as tight as possible, in all
parts, except the roof through which the smoke
must escape. But instead OF being crowded
together as recommended in the extract given
above. it should have space enough to prevent the
plants on the different sticks from pressing hard
against each other, after the tobacco has com
pletely fallen. Instead Of suffering the tobacco
10 hang four or five days before fire is put under
it, the house should be filled as soon as possible
and fire put under it Immediately, to prevent the
danger OF house burning For the first few days
the fire should be moderate, ill the edges OF the
leaves turn Of yellow color The fires should
then be gradually raised and the house kept stuff.
Gently warm TO cure the tobacco in a few DAYS
10 making kite loot tobacco, the rule is, believe,
that the tobacco, stalk and all, must be cured in
forty eight hours from the time the fires are raised
which, as | have already remarked, must be
when the leaves begin to turn yellow around their
edge. Alter thus commencing 10 change color
the entire leaf very soon assumes beautiful vel.
low hue, and the object is to cure it before it
turns TO nutmeg brown. II the curing is not
very speedy, it will, greater part oil it, change
to the latter color before the o peraton is com.
pleted.
The next thing to be done, after the tobacco
is housed and cured, is stripping THIS must be
delayed till the stem as well as the enf OF the
tObocco is thoropob l,r o,rsl 4,