The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-10-10
PRESERVING THE COLORIN CURED
TOBACCO.

PRESERVING THE COLOR IN CURED
TOBACCO.
Major r. L. Ragland's Advice, To-
gether With Information on This
Subject.
[Cincinnati Tobacco Journal
That was a timely article in the last
Western Tobacco /ournaASept. 10th
under the heading "Caution in
Curing" and, if needed, will be worth
thousands of dollars to all planters who
raise colory tobacco whether brights,
mahogonies or fancy Burley. The de-
sirable colors in the above types are
by no means permanent under all con-
ditions, but are subject to change, es-
pecially through the agency of warm,
damp air soon after the leaves have
cured (dried) either by natural or arti-
fetal means. The leaf, under such
agency, undergoes oxidation and parts
with its bright, fresh, rich color, greatly
depreciating its value. This was dis
covered by the writer over twenty
years age, land soon after he commenced
the production of the bright yellow
type, and the following was given to
the public in his manual on tobacco,
first published in 1872, as the result of
experience:
81 After curing, as 500 as the to-
bacco is sufficiently soft to move, you
may run it up in the roof of the barn
and crowd it close, or if the barn is
needed for other curings the tobacco
may be carried to the storage barn or
bulked down in any dry house on the
premises. But be sure that nothing is
bulked with green stalks or swelled
stems, for if such are placed down in
bulk it will be sure to heat and utterly
ruin.
"2. If the weather remains warm
and damp or rainy, tobacco that re-
mains hanging will be apt to change
color unless dried out by hues or char
coal. When this becomes necessary,
build small fires at first and raise the
heat gradually"
The following was a few years after
ward added to Ragland's Tobacco
Manuel:
"3. The unscientifc planter may
know nothing of the chemical constit-
uents of tobacco or the rationale of
the effects of heat in inducing a pale
green color in the leaf, or why heat
and evaporation properly adjusted pre-
vent oxidizing and reddening thereof,
or that induces sweating and sponging
and wherefore; but every one who reads
this short monograph will the better
understand why the changes and met
amorphose do occur and the reasons
therefor"
Just here it is proper to say that
chemical changes take place in cured
tobacco superinduced, as before stated
through the warm, damp air and strong
light oxidizing and darkening the color
of the leaf.
The reader will observe that in pa
ragraph the fact is not only stated
that tobacco is apt to change color
while hanging, unless kept dry by fues
or charcoal, but that when necessary
to apply heat to dry out the leaf and
preserve the color, it must be by rails
ing the temperature gradually. To
heat up:the barn and tobacco rapidly
while the tobacco is &c in high case''
oxidizes and darkens the color of the
leaves, on the same principles that too
much heat reddens the green leaves in
the curing process. And as this is in
evitably the case, according to the
rules of science, whether understood
by the planter or not, he is wise who
! heeds the advice given and takes
l14oper steps to preserve the color in
HI fine tobacco after it is cured, by
'|pfacing it where it will not be subjec
tied to atmospheric influences which
produce the change.
! A dark room is best to store tobac
CO, for too strong light will also change
the color of the leaf, and therefore the
surest way to preserve the color is te
bulk it down in a dry, close house ane
, cover the bulks with dry, sweet straw
: hay or corn fodder.
The color of the 1889 crop is th'
best recommendation, and, therefore
/ its preservation is of param cunt i'm
portance.
: Bright yellow tobacco, or, indeed
: of any other type, becomes seasoned
. in time-the color fxed-either il
5 bulk or crowded close hanging on th'
? tiers, and will then be but slightly,
f at all, Influenced by warm, damp all
But too much light will deaden tn
II color at all times.