Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1842-10-15
From the Southern Planter
T o b A C G o.

lect, viz: "The best mode of managing to-
bacco from the time it is cut in the. field
until it is carried To market" having had
the subject under consideration, beg leave
to present the following report as the result
of their deliberations
The plant being supposed to be mature
and cut in the field, the first operation is
inc hanging on sticks. We advise that it
should be done with great care; that each
plant be placed perpenIicularly on the
stick, with space sufficient to prevent one
plant from coming in contact with another,
it being matter of Importance to give
each plant sufficient space for free evapora
ton. The second operation is "scaifolding."
Your committee advise that the sticks be
carefully removed to a scaff bid. (Which
should always be near at hand, taking great
care that the plants shall not be bruised
The scaffJid should be low, so that the tails
of the plants may nearly reach the earth,
it being considered highly important to
have the radiation of the heat arising from
the earth at this season of the year, to aid
in following the plant After it has re-
NAMED thus crowded on the scalfOld some
two or three days, the sticks must be re-
moved from one another at such a distance
as to give the plant the benefit of free ven
tillation. How long il should remain on
the scaffold, your committee cannot exactly
advise, it being dependent on variety of
circumstances, which they feel at loss to
explain even TO an experienced planter
The result of their experiences, that when
the plth of the stalk commences to contract,
and the stems show a slight degree Of con
traction, and the margin of the leaves give
evidence OF slight degree of dryncss TO
the touch, that then it is ready to be re-
moved to the house. This mode is advised
if it is desired TO give the plant bright
color If it is desired to cure it dark
color, the same directions should be obscr-
we'd, with this exception, that instead of
crowdlng the sticks upon the SCaifold they
should bc carefully placed at intervals oil
about ten inches, the object being obviously
TO prevent the leaves on one plant coming
in contact with those on another, due re-
gard being had to the size Of the plants
This brings us to the third operation, the
"housing" as it is termed. The same par.
ticularity and care should be observed in
housing as has been advised in the last ope.
ration, departure from which would pro.
duce disastrous consequences. By all
means avoid crowding. which done pro.
duccs house-burn. BY housc-burn we
mean that leaf which presents red color
and dry llteless appearance. We believe
that it is produced by heat from two causes
crowdlng and excessive fire. There is
difference Of opinion on this subject, ant
your committee are well aware of it too
even by experienced planters; but such il
our conviction of its truth from close oh
servatiun, that we will almost venture III,
opinion without the fear of refutatiOn.
The fourth operation is by far the mos
imdortant branch of the subject before
them, "the firing" Your committee are
well aware of the difficulty of removin!
old and established uSages and opinions
and venture on this branch Of the sub iec
with great dItllence, as their plan will
come in conflict with the usagcs and opin
IONS of the oldest, most experienced, anC
respectable planters of our State. But tho
Importance of their opinions, formed from
cxperlmenti if true, both as it regards the
economy of labor and fuel, (the latter arti
Gle becoming so scarce in our part Of thu
State as almost to deter the boldest from
the cultivation Of the p!ant9 embolden
them in the stand they have taken, and in
duces them recommend the plan of thei
brother planters. The plan heretofor
practised and the general received opiaior
is that 1t requires great deal of fuel t
cure tobacco, and give it that seasoning re
Quired to make it stand voyage to MAJ
ket. The plan we recommend we thinl
will produce this result with less than on
half of that required by the old plan.
All that is requisite is to evaporate tn
water and retain the oil and rcsinous ma
ters. This accomplished, we should be sa
isfied; your committee recommend til;
the fire should be commenced gradually, 5
that the heat, by degrees should be un
iormly difi'uscd throughout the house, NJ
yer, in the commencement, exceeding tt
warmth of summers sun. greater d
gree of heat would prove injurious, scriou
ly affecting the oily and resnous prope
lies of the plant. Keep up this fire uni
the leaf mot the stem) is cured; then Il
the fires burn out--thcy should not be pl
out. 1t will then be left as dry as tinde
Let it remain until it gets in soft order, ar
then commence the fire again, as before d
rected, and continue it until the stem
cured so much as to leave it in safe col
dition, taking care never TO permit the {
bacco to get in too thigh ordor," to CORE
which should it occur, apply the fire as b
fore directed. We are of opinion that
greater degree of heat should never be a
piled than 10 or 800 Fahrenheit thermor
eter A greater degree Of heat won
tend to evaporatc the valuable property
the plant, il being borne in mind that
that is required is a sulliciency of heat