The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-01-29

merce, SO unlike the deep green of the
growing plant that person familiar only
with the one would never recognize the
| other as the same plant, the planter must
| fold his hands and wait until they are in
condition for what is technically known as
striking, j. e., taking down from rafters on
which they are suspended. Touch the
tobacco when too dry and it crumbles, dis
turb it when too high or damp, and its value
for shipping is materially lessened, while If
handled in too cold weather it becomes
harsh. But there comes mild damp
spell, and the watchful planter seizing thd
right moment, since tobacco, like time ane
tide, waits for no man, musters all the
force he can command for the work Of
stripping and stemming. This done the
leaves are sorted and tied in bundles, seve-
raj being held in the hand, while around the
stalk end of the cluster is wrapped another
leaf, the loose end of which is tucked
through the center of the bundle. Great
care is taken in this operation not to break
the leaf, and oil or lard is freely used in
the work.
During the process this crop is divided In
to various grades of commerce. "long
bright leaf.0 heading the list, which is
ended by inferior slugs," the lowest grade
known to manufacturers. These last are
seldom packed into hogsheads. but are
sent loose, and sold without the trouble OF
prising, in the nearest market town.
Shades imperceptible to q. novice, serve
to determine the value of the leaf. AS it
varies in color, texture, and length, so fiuc-
tuates its market price, and at least hall
the battle lies in the manner in which the
crop has been handled in curing.
From the mountainous counties OF SOUTH
western Virginia-Frankln, Henry and
Patrick-comes all the rarest and most
valuable tobacco, 'fancy wrappers" often
bringing 800 per 100 pounds, but these
crops are small in proportion to those
raised on the lowlands of the Dan and
James and their tributaries.
This tobacco is much lighter IN color,
much softer in texture than the ordinary
staple, and is frequently as soft and as fine
as silk. Some years ago, bonnet made
of this tobacco was exhibited at the Bor-
der agricultural fair, and had somewhat the
appearance of brown silk. Only one such
plant have ever seen grown in southside,
and that, bright golden brown and nearly
two feet in length, was carefully preserved
for show on the parlor mantel OF the
planter who raised it.
After tying, the bundles are placed in
bulk, and when again sin order" are
"prisedn or packed into hogsheads-no
smoothly-planed and iron hooped casks, by
the way, but huge pine structures, very
roughly made.
The old machine for prising was primi-
tive affair, the upright beam through which
ran another at right angles, turning slightly
on pivot, heavily weighted at one end and
used as lever for COMPRISING the brown
mass into hogsheads. Now, most well-to--
do planters own tobacco straightener and
screw-press, inventions which materially
lessen the manual labor of preparing the
crop for market.
Each hogshead is branded with the name
of the owner and thus shipped to his COM
mission merchant, when the hogshead is
''broken" by tearing off a stave, thus ex.
posing the strata of the bulk to view. Of
late years some planters have been guilty
Of "nesting," or placing prime leaf around
the outer part of an inferior article in the
centre of the hogshead, and stringent
measures were taken year or two since
in the Richmond tobacco exchange for the
prevention Of such rascality.