Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1877-11-27

TObacco-HOw to Prepare it for
Market.

Editor Bristol Ne,cS:
At the request Of many planters
submit the following Article as to the
mode Of preparing tobacco for mars
ket. Surprising that the tobacco is
cured, let it hang in the barn until
after pretty hard freeze. 1t may
then be taken down the first season
it comes Ia order, and put into n
bulk. 1t should be bulked with the
tails Tapped, the stalk end out
Then cover thick with straw, sides
and top, so as to preserve the order,
and prevent its dying, 1t can then
be stripped at leisure regardless of
weather. If stripped before freeze,
it should either be marketed at once
or replaced Oh the sticks and hung
up until it goes through a spell OF
cold weather. 1t is always Il safe
plan to hang up tobacco as fast as
stripped in a close house, and then
let it hang as long as may be neces>
sary. Many planters pursue this
plan. We prefer, however, to bulk,
and if kept for the summer market to
re-hang and put it in SUmmer order.
Now as to stripping. If possible
let one hand do all the Sortin9-or,
at least, let it be done by the same
set of hands. The sorter ought to be
good Judge Of tobacco, both as to
quality and color. Leaves Of the
same color, size, and quality should
SO together. All ragged and worm>
eaten leaves should 90 with the Tugs.
The hands of leaf tobacco should
contain from six to eight leaves. -
Lug bundles may be a little larger.
Let all be neatly tied up, The small
leaves that grow at the end of the
rows, and especially next to the
woods make the best bands. In
every hand let all the leaves be about
the same length. Wrap for about
one and half inches from the head,
but don't cover the top of the head
with the band the ends of the stems
shoSld always be visible.
In marketing your tobacco remem.
Der that as a general rule tobacco
will sell better loose than if tightly
pressed together. Hence when prac-
tica5le, 1t is best to haul tobacco to
market packed neatly in the wagon
bed. When this is not practicable,
prize in large packages, but not so
hard as to bruise the leaves and cause
them to stick together. Fine yellow
tobacco should be put in tierces or
boxes and handled as delicately as
silk dress. Every bundle should be
spread out smooth aud straight, and
be subjected to no more pressure than
the weight of the hand.
In stripping tobacco, we usually
make the following grades: Lugs,
short leaf and long leaf. These are
again subdivided into dark, bright,
red, mahogany and yellow, with the
different shades of each color. All
these grades and colOrs are not usu>
ally found in the same crop. AS TO
its uses, tobacco is divided into mans
ufacturirg, shipping and non -descript.
The first tgo terms are generally we'll
understood. All tobacco that is not
dstinctively manufacturing and ship
ping, is termed non, descript. 1t is
an undesirable sort, and always sells
at a very low price in comparison
with the other grades. Unfortunately
for us, large portion of the tobacco
raised in this section is of the nom
descript character. The owners of
such tobacco are always disappointed
in the price.
What now of the market? Dull,
exceedingly dull, with no near pros>
pect of Improvement. Dark, rich,
fat shipping tobacco is likely to take
the lead in the general market. A
fine article Of manufacturing tobacco
will always bring a paying price. -
OF bright lemon-color wrappers, we
never have too many. They will sell
comparatively we'll Yet upon all
grades, as at present advised, we are
forced to that conclusion that prices
will rule even lower than the last sea.
son. 1t is painful to US to make this
announcement, but we do not wish
to mislead our friends into the ex-
pectation Of getting high prices. We,
therefore woald urge our planters to
take greater pains in preparing their
tobacco for market. Tobacco nicely
handled will always sell for more than
the same tobacco roughly handled. =
1t is hand to say whether the early or
the late market will be best. Last
season the early market was much
the best. We are inclined to the !
belief that there will not be mach |
change in prices for some time,
Whenever that change comes it must |
be for the better.
As to the character of our crop, we |
are inclined to think it is of better
QUALIFY than last year. The new crop
is beginning to m0ve-still we have
not received sufficiently large
amount to justify the expression of
any positive opinion as to the quail
ty.
We invite inquiries and correspon-
dence from our friends touching to,