Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-05-16

Information reaches us from many
of the tobacco growing counties OF Ten
nessee and Kentucky that Il large t,or-
ton oi last years tobacco cro,, Il sfill
hanging in the barns unstripped This
delay in marketing the crop is due to
the uniayorable weather during The
fall and winter months for stripping.
Very few good seasons" or weather
f1r PR perly ordering the lea for hand
ling have occurred, and the conse-
quence is that the old crop is seriously
IN the Way during the busy season
which Is now upon the farmers
The fact Is that with little prudent
foresight the planter may always have
the condition OF the cured leaf under
his control. A lesson may be learned
in this particular from the tobacco
growers of Pennsylvania In the early
days OF tobacco culture in that State
but little attention was given to the
construction OF suitable buildings for
its storage. Alter It was cut il was
hung up wherever there was any room,
any vacant place in the stock barn,
poultry house or unused rooms in the
dwelling being used for that purpose
But as the crop grew in importance
and value these make-shift convenien-
ces were found to be totally inadequate
to the economical management OF the
crop. Sheds were then built without
any particular reference to anything
except their capacity to house the crop
Cellars underneath the structures were
Unthought OF as they are now by our
own planters, but as the knowledge of
the requirements ofthe crop extended,
cellars were found to play most inn
portant part in the preparation OF the
crop for market These cellars, or
Easements, were constructed far out OF
the ground so as to admit of windows
several feet high on every side, per-
mitting the air and light to enter freely.
When it Is desired to bring the tobac-
co into proper condition for handling,
the sticks, with the tobacco on them,
are lowered into the cellar and placed
upon tier poles where it soon absofbs
humidity enough from the ground to
be handled without breaking Rooms
for stripping and asserting are provid- |
ed in one end of the cellar, with stoves
for heating and tables and other con-
veniences for handling Each days |
stripping is packed down in bulk and |
it is ready for market. A large shallow |
basin, filled with water, is kept ON the |
stove, the evaporation from which |
helps to keep the tobacco in a plant
condition during the coldest weather.
1t may be said that it is impossible
to use cellars where the tobacco is
cured with open wood fires, but little
reflection will show that the cellars
would be great help instead of a
hindrance in keeping the fires uniform
and protecting them from currents OF
air. In fact, the best tobacco growers
in parts of Robertson County, Tenn,
now excavate cellars beneath the curing
houses and find them of great advan
tage every way,
These cellars are,dug 10 the depth OF
four or five feet in the ground, and the
first set of tier poles is placed three or
four feet above the general surface so
as to give basement eight feet in
height. If the first tier poles are made
of sawed lumber loose floor may be
laid upon them and removed during
the curing season. Such floor forms /
an admirable place for packing after
the tobacco comes in proper condition.
The lower tiers or a part of them may
be utilized for ordering tobacco. We |
are sure that with such inexpensive |
convenienees the tobacco crop may be |
handled much more economically and |
with much less damage to the pro- |
duct.