Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1851-08-13
From the Plough, Loom and Anvil.
ON THE CULTIVATION OF TOBACCO.
OF STRIPPING AND PRIZING.

From the Plough, Loom and Anvil.
ON THE CULTIVATION OF TOBACCO.
OF STRIPPING AND PRIzING.
Stripping is begun as soon after the plants
are thoroughly cured and seasoned as the
convenience of the planter would permit
1t is taken off the sticks in proper season
or order, and packed in large bulk fol
this purpose, and generally in higher order
than is proper for prizng, which enables
the s,uppers to handle it with less waste
and to tie j. more neatly. There are two
facts generally believed to exist, in relation
to the order Of tobacco, which are unac-
countable. One is, that tobacco IN order
or in a mois, state, is no heavier than when
dry. The other, that it is taken down anL
buIked, as it is going out Of season, that is
as j, is passing from moist TO dryer state
it will return in the bulk to the highest state
of order i. had previously acquired. These
opinions, however, seem 10 have been es-
Iablished more by prescription than recent
experiment, for can find no person thai
will absolutely assert the facts upon his own
experience. Bu. be 1t as it may, the latter
fact is so generally believed as to be attend
ed 10 in bulking tobacco.
In stripping, the best planters make two
qualities besides stemmed. For this pur-
pose, every plant passes through the hands
Of the sorters, Ghe most experienced and
judicious Of the laborers,) who pull of
the two first, or ground leaves, without
looking. Upon examination, the remain
der of the plant may be found fit for the
first class; perhaps two more leaves are
10 be taken off, or perhaps the whole is
only fit for the second class. In this way
the first class is obtained, the leaves previ-
ously pulled off are egain sorted for the
second class, and what is unfit for this is
stemmed.
No definite idea of the quality of the dif-
ferent classes can be we'll conveyed by de.
scription. 1t can only, and soon will be.
acquired by observation and experince. The
bundles of each consist of four or five leaves
neatly wrapped around the head with an
other leaf The stemmed tobacco (about
two thirds of the stem only are taken out
is tied in large bundles, and when packed
in the ogshead for pressing is united and
laid loosely, but in straight and uniform
!! layers.
After stripping, some planters hang up
their tobacco again upon stricks drawn
smooth and somewhat to fea,her-edge, and
as il comes in proper order for prizing it, is
taken down aud bulked, and closely and ef-
fec,uaIly covered till the time Of prizing ar
rives. The months of April and May are
thought the best time for this. Others pack
their tobacco in double winrows, that is,
slightly lap the tails of the bundles, placing
the heads on the outside, and thus raise a
bulk of three or four feet in height. 1t re-
mains in this situation we'll weighted, but
oflenlimes without cover all the winter, and
perhaps gets completely dry; but returns in
proper order for prsing in the warm wea-
,her Of April and May. 1t is matter OF
much doub. and dispute, which of these
two modes is the best. Perhaps the latter
is to be preferred, because it is the least
trouble, provided the planter has plenty oi
house-room, and can SO order it as TO leave
the Winrows entirely free from interruption
Other planters, more careless, carry on the
operation of stripping and pfizing together
wi,hou. due regard 10 the order Of the TO.
bacco, which may account for the excess ol
inferior qualities, and diversity ofprices ex-
! hlbited in our markets.
Pfizing is the last operation, but not the
least important in the care and attention il
requires. The size Of our hogsheads is
prescribed by law. They must not exceed
four and a half feet in height, nor .hir.y-siS
inches in the diameter of the heads. Ir
these we generally attempt to press l5Ot
pounds, but we of.ener fall below than ge
over it. The average is perhaps not more
than 1850 lbs. Our prizes are of the cheap
est and simplest construction, generally fix
| ed by the laborers who use them, and no
| exceeding two or three dollars in entire cost
The stump of tree is generally used, in.
stead of post in the ground, until it ro.s
and the hogshead is protected by a tempo
rary shed, or light portable roof s'raddIet
across The beam. suhjoin sketch of the
one most commonly used. This you vii
observe operates by an unceasing suspend
ed weight, capable of being increased BY
the addition Of stones to any required ex
tent, and which is suffered TO se,tIe gradu
ally to the desired point, by which all dan
ger of bruising from sudden and violen
pressure is avoided. The important points
in prizing are, to pack the tobacco neatly in
straight and regular layers. This is bes
done by putting in only one bundle at q
time, pressing and squeezing it closely thro
the hands as it is done, 10 make i. occupy
less space, by which it will exhibit better
appearance when j. is opened for inspection
To make i. descend always on level in the
hogshead, by never suffering the beam to be
depressed below a horizontal position, and
to cause the tobacco in prizng, no. to leave
the inside of the hogshead, which Can only
be effected by having different sets of press
board, corresponding to the different dimen-
siuns of the hogshead between the bulge