The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-06-13
(From the American Farmer
Summing as Against Air Cur
ing-Which is Best?

ing-Which is Best?
In considering the above query,
| shall first notice the views OF
those persons who advocate sun
ming tobacco during the curing
process.
They are presented ander two
heads: First, that labor and house
room is thereby saved; ard second,
that the flavor of the tobacco is i'm
proved and made superior to such
if cured in the house by the air. Ny
objections to scatfolding and sun
ming are, that the system involves
the necessity to handle the tobacco
twice instead of once, and that the
necessary %scaffoldng viii cost more
than the additional houSe-room
necessary to house properly tie
whole crop. Besides, there is al
ways Il risk incurred Of injury from
rain and storms, and also Of injury
to It's appearance and favor by
hasty curing, caused by high winds
before the leaf has had time to vel
low. Under the second head q
distinction is claimed where there
is no difference, and the superior
flavor is attributed to the wrong
Il The experiment has often
been make III my presence, by
chewerS of tobacco of the most dis
eliminating taste, to determine II
there was superiority Of flavor IN
tobacco grown upon the same kind
of soil, the one part cured IN the
sun, to the other part cured IN the
house by the ar, and the lnvaria-
bic result has been that no differ
ence of flavor could be discovered.
This proves that the advocates of
summing tobacco to make it sweet
are mistaken, and THAI they attri-
butte the sweet flavor to the wrong
cause That there is Il great differ
ence in the flavor OF the tobacco
ali who use it admit. We have
shown that this difference does not
result from any difference in the
curing process as between sun-cur-
ing on the scatfold and air-curing
in the house. 70 what cause. then,
shall we attribute the difference?
Evidently to difference of soil and
climate. The sun shines in Ken
lucky and Connecticut as we'll us
in Virginia and North Carolina,
and yet the States first named nerer
produce any Of the street farOred
artie'e. Why: Because the soil
ana'climate in those States are not
adapted to the growth and produc-
ton of such quality. Here | might
rest this question; because all per-
son admit that a thing which in
fact has no support must fall. But
there are manufacturers of tobacco
IN the cities who have had no OPP
portunitles to properly inform
themselves concerning this matter,
and others who are slow to learn,
and yet others who have had no
chance to learn but would like to
be Informed. For the benefit Of
such | will give a few illustrations
TO impress their minds with the
Fundamental fact concerning this
matter, that the difference in
the flavor of tobacco depends
more upon the diversity of soil and
climate than upon all things else,
and Is the work of nature and not
the work of art. Dark heavy soils
are generally adapted to the growth
Of dark heavy leaf, with redundant
cy OF sap while growing. and the
crop not fading at maturity is Of
bad flavor when cured. is the natu-
raj growth for black wrappers or
some shipping quality, and it
should be permitted 10 cure IN a
natural way. Now to attempt by
following such after it is severed
and force colors by the application
of fro, to change Its quality, would
he TO impair or ruin its value. As
futile would be the attempt by sun
nlGg to make of it Il sweet-havored
article for chewing purposes. Gray
and light sandy soils in my latitude
are adapted to the production of
leaf or some finer fibre, dappling
and fading while growing, some
times. to bright yellow at maturity.
THIS growth if cured in IA natural
way will be suitable either for first
class sweet favored filters, red
brown or dappled wrappers.
To attempt to make black wrap
pers. or heavy shinninn nnaiitias