Democratic messenger., 1888-08-25

Taking the Leaf 30 slarket-Ths Prtfess
Of Curing the Weed.

Taking the Leaf 20 slarket-The Prtisss
OF Curing the Weed.
There Is no happier being on earth than
the negro farmer riding into southern
town behind half starved steer, with o
load Of tobacco in his prairie schooner.
It represents the product Of q small patch
In favored part Of his farm, but it may
bring him ei 900 or more.
At one Of the sales at Durham, the
busy little town In the center Of the
bright yellow North Carolina tobacco
belt, or the Golden belt, as they call IL,
u gray haired old colored man stood
watching the crowd Of buyers as they
bid against each other on the piles that
represented his crop. As the amount
rose higher and higher his eyes grew
larger and larger. his limbs shook, and
he changed his quid Of tobacco from side
to side 50 quickly that he didn't have O
chance to chew It. When the price
reached 1900 he could no longer con-
tain himself. but shouted: stop right
there, gemmans; dat's enough! Dis
nigga can't stand no more. Never had
50 much money in all my born days"
And he might well he surprised, for his
old steer had drawn It all to the sales
warehouse at ono load.
These tobacco auctions are lively spec.
taclcs. In one Of the largest warehouses
in Durham as many as 1000 piles OF to-
bacco are laid out at one sale. The auc-
tioneer steps from pile to pile as he Sells,
the buyers following him. He new
says word about the quality Of the I'd,
but simply rattlcs OH the figures dever
stopping till the pile is knocked down.
The buyers know the quality rs soon as
their eyes rest on It. Occasionally they
will run their hands into pile, select q
bunch and feel Of it, but usually pile
after pilaSs gold without person touch
ing it. X rapidity of the selling Is re-
markable. The - run right along,
each bidde> ing just what he Is
doing. The ers are the most cx.
pert men in business and represent
houses In surrounding section and
distant mt facturers and dealers. The
; Asw Yorl and all the foreign markets
areSsepresented at all the tobacco sales in
Durham. n. c., and Lynchburg and
Danville, Va.
The North Carolina bright yellow to-
bacco industry has proved mine Of
wealth to the planters. When Shcrman's
army stopped near Durham the boys got
some Of the tobacco to smoke in their
pipes. They were so delighted with IL
that when they reached their homes they
sent for more. The tobacco thus got the
best kind Of advertising.
The crop is troublesome one to han
die. There are three kinds of worms that
like to feed upon It; Of these the horn
worm likes the plant 80 well that it has
to be picked of by hand, and the field
hands go searching for 1t by lantern light
at night. Then the matter Of curing the
leaf is very delicate one. A whole crop
may be spoiled altogether or precipitated
several grades lower in the scale by q
little carelcssncss or unskillfulness in reg
ulating the heat. The barns are usually
seventeen and a half feet square, just
holding 450 sticks. The heat is raised
from the yellowing heat at the rate Of 5
dcgs. every two hours. When the heat
reaches 1855 degs. it is kept there twelve
hours. 1t is then raised 8 degs. every
hour and half until it gets TO 1870 degs.,
which cures both stem and stalk IN a
short time. ee-
Kentucky, with her III, ,000.0S pounds
Of tobacco, equals the next four highest
states. Leaving out Virginia's 9,OOO.-
900 pounds, Kentucky's product equals
those Of Pennsylvania. Ohio, Tennessee,
North Carolina, Maryland, Connecticut
and Missouri, which are the principal to-
bacco states, although New York looms
up with the respectable product of O, ,4sl, :
i31. Massachusetts $500. .436, Indiana
s,s72, si2 and Illinois 1895. s25 pounds.
New York Press,