Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1858-08-04
From the N. G. Planter.

OO111 ~" ~ OU ~
MEsSRs. EDITORS In your May number :
of the Planter, was an article from "a Plant !
or of Wake" requesting information relative B
to the management of Hogs and Tobacco
and particularly hoo to make oaO-9rouad To-
baccO desirable for the manufacturer. l have
waited, hoping that some one better qualified
than myself would respond but as they
have not, l will endeavor to give the particu-
tar information desired. And rs l believe
your correspondent to be one of Wakes most
intelligent and successful Hog and Tobacco
~raisers, l shall claim from him through the
Planter, his experience on these subjects.
To make foreground Tobacco desirable
for the Manufacturer, it is necessary for it
to be cured yellow. Until very recently, the
idea has prevailed, that Tobacco yellowed
before fire is put under it, could not be cured
yellow. This is a mistake, and l will en-
deayor to explain the treatment in a few
words. As large Tobacco requires more
time to cure it than small, and sappy Tobacco
more than that which yellows on the hill,
you will at once see the necessity of cutting
as near the same grade az possible, for the
same curing. Do not put more than FIVE
plants on a stick, and have them at least
twelve inches apart in the barn. Before
housing put it on q scafFold near the barn
daor, just high enough from the ground to
allow the tails Of the Tobacco to rest, from E
to 10 inches on the straw, with which the
ground should be covered. AS soon as The
Tobacco gets sufficiently timber, crowd it on
the scaffold and cover it closely over the tops
and sides with leafy brush, and there let il
remain until it yellows. If it should rain
on it, open it on a higher scaffold and let i
dry, and if not sufficiently yellow, agair
crowd it. When it gets ne ,rly yellow, built
a log fire i'll your barn and keep it hot on
day so as to dry the ground and walls thor
oughly, and at night remove the fire. Tn,
next day house the Tobacco, and put from
nine to fifteen small fires made of charcoal
at equal distances from each other, over tn
floor. By hanging a Thermometer on a bot
tom tier near the centre of the house, yo
may keep the heat regular. For the frs
ten or twelve hours, raise the heat to 95 G
1902 then increase it 50 every fifteen Q
eighteen hours according to the size of til
!, Tobacco, until the leaf is nearly cured, the
Z, increase it 80 every two hours until les {
; or l70o are obtained, and continue at ths
:. until stem and stalk are thoroughly curet
|. 1.-THE fires should be kept up night and da
q from the beginning to the end. The wal
q of the barn should be made close to exclud
O the air, and il it has a tight roof, a space tv
n or three inches wide should be left under IL
q caves but if a common slab roof, no spar
1t will be necessary rs they are generally ST
If ~fciently open. 1t would be we'll to ha'
it air holes under the bottom of the house, tn
could be opened or closed at pleasure, al
vs. during the two first days of firing, keep the
I'd and the door standing open most of the tim
II. In giving the degrees of heat and 4
X. changes, | may not be exactly correct, b
NC by observing the following l think there W
be but little difficulty in succeeding, as t
Use best curers in Stokes County, have ney
.he used a Thermometer. The nature of Tob;
mr. co is such, that if fire is forced too fast in I
to. beginning, il will cause the leaves to cure
nd n dark rusty or greenisb color or in a m,
de. advanced stage, if the heat is too great, tn,
,ou is danger ot causing the Tobpcco to swe;
,ur which would cause large red splotches
Tho come on the leaves; and if too slow (wb
Md | think is not often the case except when
loo fires are allowed to go QUIT there is dan
in of it's drying up of the same color tina
tho would in the sun or air. All of these thi
should be guarded against. IF it should
in q sweat, which you can readily detect
nod frequently feeling the leaves, immediat
pull down the fires and give it air freely
orc opening the door, &c. After it dries GU
axe the sweat, you may proceed as before,
no do not have too much steam. By obser,
liz these rules | think the fibre may be cure
yellow as the leafy part of the plant. II
Le. much Tobacco is put in the house at
time, it is almost impossible to keep it
n Of getting in q sweat.
less With the hope that the above may p
profitable 70 your numerous readers,
hem particularly to my esteemed friend
NAV Planter Of Wake" / now close.
lots
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