The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-04-15

degrees hut this need Dot concern the cur
er to put him out of hope. for y little
under the circumstances was neces-
we close up the opening and raise
the heat 10 one .handred degrees. But .
skilfui curer. detects the first indie ttions
Of sweat. and prevents it by regulating the
heat.
Keep tho heat At enc hundred degrees
for four hours aud then advance two and
q half degrees every two hours until one
hundred and ten degrees are reached Here
yon h. we reached the most critical point IN
the difficult process of curing bright tobac-
co. The CONDITION and appearance OF the
tobacco must lie the curer's guido. No one
can successfully cure tehacco, until he can
distinguish the effects of too much or too
little heat in appearance of the leaf. Too
little heat, in fixing the color. operates TO
stain the fuce 81 le Of the leaf a dull brown
color. an | is called '~sponging.' and nay
lie known to the notice by its appearance
only on the face side Of the leaf. Too
much heat reddens the leaf first around tie
edge and then in spots, which are visibls
on both sides. New. tn prevent, spsngln4
IN the one hand and spotting on the other.
is the aim of the experienced curer. No de-
Innate time can he laid down ~ run from
oae hundred and ten to one bundled
AB1 &"CulV tC.tCCo. IUui "OUss
will suffice, then again eight hours is fast
enough. While it Is usual at this stage to
advance five degrees every two hours for
medium tobacco. the condition Of the tobac-
co ~ften indicates to the practiced eye the
necessity for slower or faster movement.
But il is safe not to advance above one
hundred and ten degrees until the tails he
GIN to curl up at the ~nEs. Arrived at one
hundred and twenty five degrees. this IL the
.curnng process. The heat should remain at
or n ,ar these figures unit the leaf 10 cured,
which will require fir MEX to eight hours,
according to the amount Of sap tn TIC ex-
PEELED When the leaf appears to he cured,
advance five degrees every hour up tn one
hundred aud seventy degrees and remain
urtil the stalk and stem are thoroughly cur
ed. Tt. run above one hundred and eighty
degrees is tn endanger s%corching the :obac-
co, and perhsps burning barn and tobacco.
TH recapitulate:
First following process, 80 degrees,
from 23 to 30 hours.
Second. Fixing Color, l2O degrees, 4
hours.
Second Fixinging Colc~, 100 to 10 81
degrees every 2 hours.
Second. Fixing Color, liS,to 12O, 4 to 8
hours.
Third. Curing the leaf. 100 or 1875, 6 t"
8 ihours.
Feulh. turihg stalk and stem. 125,
to lao. 5 degrees an hour. And continue
1t one hundred ard seventy degrees until
stalk and stean are thoroughly kllened and
dry. which usually requires irsn twelve to
fifteen hours.
After curing. as soon as the tobacco is
sufficiently soft to move. you may run it up
in the roof of the barn is needed for other
curings, the tot,scco may he carried te the
storage barn Or hnlked down ia any dry
house nn the preulesis. But he ssEc that
nothing is bulked with green stalks or
swelled stems. for if such are placed down
in bulk it will he sure to heat and utterly
ruin.
,OIsH ERING.
If. after the tobacco is cured, the wsath
er remain dry and it fails to get soft read
lily, ~ that it can be moved. it mag I've
brought 10 order in the following way:
Place green bushes with the leaves on over
the floor and sprinkle water over them cop
iouslv If the tobacco is very dry ami tfe
atmosphere c~gtains hut little moisture. and
If The weather is cool a little fire kindled IL
the 1ues will assist in making the tobacco
soft. Straw wet or made SO will answer
the same purpose. If the weather Is damp
there will he necessity to uSe either straw.
brush or water. But when 1t is necessary
to use any means to order tobacco. it is hest
to apply them in the afternoon, that the to-
baccO may lie renewed the next monning.
If the weather remains warm and damp
or rainy, tobacco that remain hanging will
he apt to cnange color unless drad out by
fucs or charcoal. When this becomes nee.
esssry build small fires At first and raise the
heat gradually.
Tobacco should never be stripped from
the stalks except in pliable order, and the
leave on every plant should be carefully
assorted and every grade tied up separately.
Usually there will he three grades Of leaf,
assorted with reference to color and size,
and two Of Tugs. OF leaf tie six t. eight
leaves IN the bundle, and Of Tugs eight to
ten. As fast rs you strip either hang the
hands on sticks--twenty-fve to each
stick and hang up or bulk down IN two
layers, the heads of hands or bundi les ia.