The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1889-06-26
Editors of Southern Tobacconist

and Manufacturers Record:
The production OF tobacco is
one of our greatindustries, rank
ing sixth among our field pro-
ducts in point OF value and con-
sidered by great portion OF our
population a necessity. Thevast
interest involved in the cultiva-
ton and manufacture OF tobacco
demand our best thought that
We can bestow on the subject.
We know the schoolmaster has
been very busy amongthe mines,
and among the engineers, and
artizens among those who fashion
fabrics, the dairymen and stock
raisers. but tobacco growing and
curing has escaped his attention,
and the business OF growing and
curing the weed has little science
and less common sense to bank
upon.
Using the tobacco stalk as a
handle to cure the leaves on is the
most illogical and senseless piece
of farming that can be shown in
any country on the globe. 1t is
the stumbling-block of the whole
industry; to the foolish system
of curing on the stalk can be
traced all the evils that beset the
tobacco business from beginning
to end.
The tobacco plant will grow
and mature twenty leaves of to-
baccc between May and October,
every one OF which can be saved
and we'll cured if removed from
the stalk as they ripen. There is
never more than five leaves at
any one time 10 be found ready
for curing a lemon yellow; as it is
the leaves and not the stalk that
is wanted, common sense would
say pick the leaves and cure them
and let the stalk grow other
leaves. The stalk curer says, cut
the stalk, all want is eight leaves,
/ will take two OF them dead and
other twogreen; good sense would
require the twenty leaves all in
good condition. She would re-
move them just as the first grain
appears on the leaf, just before
fermentation set in, when the thin
membrane which covers the sap
cells is tender, when it is easy to
get the sap out on the back OF the
leaf, when it can be made a lemon
yellow in eight hours less time
than at any other time before or
afterwards; science would here
suggest that the leaves be dis.
r ted in the curing barn in such
a manner that the heat and air
should strike leaf on every sideat
the same time, and that during
the whole time Of drying after the
following there should be a con.
tinuous current Of rarified air
passing steadily up between and
around every leaf in the curing
barn, at a temperature not ex.
ceeding 100 degrees. Science
would here suggest that II the
cures did not want any air be
should have the means to shut il
off entirely and start II at will.
In "A close examination Of the
anatomy Of the tobacco leaf We
find il organized on the plan Of
honey in the comb, with this diff.
ference: The wax cells are sphnri.
cal in form; each cell il filed with
a minute particle Of oil, which
furnishes the aroma so desirable
in all tobacco but seldom found
instalk cured. Itisvery essential
that the natural organization oI
the leaf should be maintained aud
found perfect after curing. The
wax cells should under no circum.
stances b. melted by heat in the
curing barn; science says 1876 de.
grues H. the extreme limit (the
practice il 1907. The water
should he got out Of the leaf by d
slow process Of evaporation, in
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