Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-11-07


the raw stock Is 81 and Cd, yet the manufac-
fured article can be and is sold for 3s and Sd.
Think Of that, Sd less than duty. How do
you account for that?
Nashville Spirit of the Farm: The
cropfs by this time all housed, or very
nearly so. The subject of curing may there
fore be very appropriately considered just
now, as ON this depends very greatly the
value OF tobacco when 1t comes 70 be mar
keted. First, we may remark that in hand
ling the plant while green, In the field or in
the house, great care should be used to pre-
vent bruising, as the bruiSe appears on the
leaf when cured. and converts good leaf
into a lug. The object of curing is to nix the
qualities of texture and elasticity already
acquired by the plant in its growth, and 70
iInp part to it that color which will be most
desirable when it shall be ready for market
If fire or heat is to be used in curing, the
plant should be allowed to wilt thoroughly I;
and care should be taken not to place too
many plants on stick, or the sticks too
close together on the tier poles in the Darn,
as, If this is done, it is apt to cause house
burn and the tobacco, when cured, is dead,
lifeless, without elasticity, and of little
value in the market. II the plants are
large, not more than six or eight should be
hung on stick. They should be opened
out or separated on the sticks, and the
sticks placed seven to nine inches apart on
the tier poles, SO as to allow a free passage
of air. When this is done there IS little
danger of houseburn. If it is desired to
cure the tobacco bright color, it should be
allowed to hang in the barn several days,
and yellow before the fire or heat is applied.
If, however, q dark color Is wanted, the
fire should be applied earlier, when the
plant is thoroughly wilted and beglds TO
color, as the heat serves to fix the color that
has been acquired. If heat is to be used, 1t
may be applied by the use of open fires,
hues, or stoves; and OF these methods. the
flues or stoves are preferable, as the danger
from fire is greatly lessened by their use. If
open fires are to be used. well-seasoned
wood should be proVided-of hickory or
some other kind that will burn readily and
steadily until consumed, and will give out
the least quantity of smoke, emitting few
sparks. A moderate heat should be first
used, and gradually Increased to such
tenn perature as has been found by expert
ence best suited TO complete the process of
curing the desired color; and there should
be constant watchfulneSS to control the
heat regulate the temperature, and avoid
the danger of fire from the sparks. The
heat should be continued until not only the
leaf but the stem is cured, as by this means
the color is fixed, and no sap or moisture is
left in the stem to run out into the leaf and
destroy the color. When open fires are
used, the barns should be close and tight,
particularly the lower part of eight or ten
feet from the ground, to prevent the passage
of currents ofair or wind which would in
terfere with the ascent of the heat among
the tobacco, and might endanger the barn
by blowing out sparks. After the tobacco
has Deen thoroughly cured, it is best in very
damp weather to build small fires to pre-
vent mold or mildew, and also to prevent
the running of colorS. We may remark
that the very large, long, heavy tobacco
raised in some parts OF the Upper Cumber-
land District, particularly IN the river ana
creek bottoms, would be better cured by
fire, as it is only suited for export, and 1t
will stand the sea voyage much better when
fired. Upon the proper curing of tobacco
largely depends its value on the market.
The planter should therefore not spare ex-
pense in providing himself with properly
barns, and should spare neither
labor nor care in curing.
Handling Tobacco.
Spirit of the Farm: So much impor-
lance attaches to the proper handling OF to-
bacco i'll preparing il for market, that we
venture to make some suggestions on the
subject TO which planters will do well to
give attention. This would be stale sub
feet upon which to write, did it not cut SO
great figure in fixing the value upon the
market. Important as it is, we think II
should be kept constantly before those in
terested, and too much can hardly be said.
When the "handling" OF tobacco is spoken
Of it is too often understood 10 have refer
ence only to putting 1t in the hogShead, but
this is mistake. "Handling," as the word
in generallyuSed inconnectt0n with tobacco.
begins with the stripping and sorting, ana
no part of the process Is more important;
Stripping and sorting are done at one ana
the same time, hence must be discussed To-
gether The latter (sorting) however, should
continue until the tobacco Is all In the
hogshead. The first thing to be considered
is the "order" that should be secured before
stripping begins, and great care should be
taken to have this just right, that stripping
NAV be done with ease, and without injury
10 the leaf. Iftoo dry, both stem and leaf
will crack and break in pulling the lear
from the stalk, injuring the face, ana con-
verting good leaf into lug: If 100 soft,
the leaf is taken from the stalk with dlm-
Guilty, being tough, and often part OF the
stalk is pulled OFF with the leaf, wnlch must
be cut of before tying, or you will have
large, rough, uggly head To your bundle:
The tobacco on the stalk should be just
soft and plant enough to handle with ease,
without breaking or defacing it. The first
sorting should be done while the stripping
is in progress, and great care should be used.
The fact that, as general thing, Leaf COM
mands a higher price than Tugs, leads The
planter, from an erroneous idea OF lncreas-
ing the profits from his crop, to endeaVor to
make as few Tugs as possible, ana 10 throw
with the leaf what should properly go with
the Tugs. This idea is erroneous Ior the
reason that by pursuing this course the
grade of both Tugs and leaf Is lowered, ana
The price OF each diminished i'll proportion.
To enhance the value of tobacco, ana insure
the largest return from the crop, the strict
est scrutiny should be USED III sorilhg. me
bottom leaves on the plant should be put
with the Tugs, for the reason, aside from
any thing else that they are so low on the
plant, SO near the ground, that sand or DIRT
Is thrown upon them by the beating rains
and by the wind, and not unfrequently, on
account of the length. the tips or ends OF
the leaf touch the ground, ana II not rotte ed
added all worm-eaten or unsound leaves,
bruised, house burned, or damaged IN any
way. 1t is great temptation when sorllng
il a leaf is only little worm-cut or house
burned, or slightly frosted, TO put II with
good leaf if it appears Well from a casual
examination. But II should pc DoFi ne. IN IN
mind that the buyer examines the leaves In
the sample closely; that one-lhlrd or one
fourth of your entire crop only is Tugs, ana
two-thirds to three-fourts Is leaf that a ieW
damaged leaves thrown with the leaf IN
sorting may come i'll the sample, and, no
matter how we'll they look, they are detect
ed by the buyer, and damage the sale OF all
your leaf; so that in the effort to get price
for a few leaves to which you are rot justly
entitled, you take the risk of reducing the
value of tWo-thirdS or three-tourthS OF the
crop, On the other hand, if the good, snowy
leaves that are n little worm-cut or DINER
wise slightly damaged are thrown with the
Tugs, the grade of your Jugs Is raised anu
their value prOportionately increased, while
at the same time your good leaf, being clean
of all damaged or faulty tobacco, Is also I'M
proved, the grade raised, the value IN
creased, and the crop as whole ylelds
more money. 1t follows then that close
sorting and putting damaged leaves where
they properly belong is not only right, but
most profitable. The old adage, "HoneSty is
the best policy" is as true when applied 10
sorting and pricing tobacco as anything
else, and it Will pay to be governed DIV II.
But the sorting is not completed when the
lugs and leaf are separated. The leaf should
be strictly sorted before tying, and each
bundle should contain only leaves mat are
uniform in length, color, ana quaIlty. 30
much for the importance and manner OF
sorting. The next thing to be considered is
the proper wing and the size OF the bundles,
pOrtance to this that it deserves. Few per.
sons seem TO know how much neat, firm
tie adds to the appearance of tobacco, or 10
understand that an improvement in the
appearance, while it does not increase
the intrinsic value, does cause it nine
times out OF ten to bring better price.
Each bundle should contain not more
than six leaves, sometimes less, as the stem
may be large or small, and these should be
uniform in length, color, and quality, so
that if the sorting has not been strictly
DONE as suggested above, while stripping
from the stalk, it must be continued when
tying 1t is needless to say that lug leaves
may be used in tying up Jugs, but should
not be used in tying leaf. The short OF the
leaf tobacco should be used for the tie
leaves, no matter how long the tobacco to
be tied, as the butt end of n long ue-leaf
extending through sample gives 1t a
rough, bony appearance. The tie-leaf
should be of the same color and quality
with the tobacco tied. When the ue-leaf
has been selected, fold it neatly, so that 1t
will not exceed an inch and quarter in
with. Now take the leaves that are to COM
pose the bundle and put them together, so
that the butt ends of the stems shall be eX-
actly even then adjust the tie-leaf so that
IL will extend about one-fourth of an inch
beyond the end of the stem, and carry II
squarely around the hundlei wrap tightly,
and secure it we'll, so as to make q snort,