The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-08-20

" uCA tlC tOOdSCO IS Sufficiently vel.
lowed, best leaves of uniform yellow,
and the greener ones of light pea
green color, it is time to advance the
heat to one hundred degrees; observing
the leaves closely to detect sweating,
which will soon redden and spoil the
color, unless driven off. To do this,
open the door and let it stand open,
and if in an hour or more the sweat
has not disappeared, open space be-
tween the logs on opposite sides Of the
barn to let in more air, and permit it
to remain open until the tobacco has
dried off all appearance of the sweat.
To dry off the sweat speedily, sprinkle
dry straw or hay ever the floor and set
fire thereto, using just enough straw to
accomplish the desired result. Right
at this point more curings are spoiled
than at any other stage of the process.
1t may be we'll to remember what is
fact, that at least five curings are spoil
ed by proceeding too fast to one failure
from going too slow. Now stick pin
here.
But to 60 back to the barn, where
We have just dried the leaf, and where
the thermometer indicates fall of five
or ten degrees-but this need not con-
Germ the curer or put him out of hope,
for little cooling under the circum-
stances was necessary-we close up the
opening and raise the heat to one hun
dred degrees. But skilful curer de-
tects the first indications of sweat, and
prevents it by regulating the heat and
ventilation.
Keep the heat at one hundred de-
grees for four hours, and then advance
two and a half degrees every two
hours, until one hundred and ten de-
grees are reached. Here you have
reached the most critical point in the
difficult process Of curing bright to-
bacco. The condition and appearance
of the tobacco must now be the curer's
guide. No one can successfully cure
tobacco until he can distinguish the
effects of too much or too little heat
in the appearance of the leaf Too
little neat in fixing the color operates
to stain the "face" side of the leaf a
dull brown, and is called "sponging,"
and may be known to the novice by
its appearance only on the "face" side
of the leaf. Too much heat reddens
the leaf, first around the edge and then
In spots, which are visible on both
oIuvo. INUw, " prevent spOngIDg on
the one hand and spotting on the
other hand, is the aim of the expert
enced curer. No definite time can be
laid down to run from one hundred
and ten to one hundred and twenty
degrees. Sometimes four hours will
suffice, then again, eight hours is fast
enough. While it is usual at this stage
to advance about five degrees every
two hours for medium tobacco, the
condition of the tobacco often indi-
Gates, to the practiced eye, the neces-
sity Of slower or faster movement. But
it is safe not to advance above one
hundred and ten degrees until the tails
begin to curl up at the ends. Arrived
at one hundred and twenty or one
hundred and twenty-five degrees, this
is the curing process. The heat should
remain at or near these figures until
the leaf is cured, which will require
six to eight hours, according to the
amount of sap in the leaf to be ex-
PEELED. When the leaf appears to be
cured, advance five degrees every hour
up to one hundred and seventy degrees
and remain until stalk and stem are
thoroughly cured. To run above one
hundred and eighty degrees is to. en-
danger scorching the tobacco, and
perhaps burning both barn and tobacco.
To recapitulate-
First. following process. 90 de-
grees from "a to 30 hours.
Second. Fixing color, 100 degrees
hours; 100 to no, ~ degrees every
hours, no to 100 degrees 4 to 8
hours.
Third. Curing the leaf, 100 toIz5
to hours.
Fourth. Curing stalk and stem, rz5
to 40, S degrees each hour.
And continue at ITO degrees until
stalk and stem are thoroughly killed
and dry, which usually requires from
IL to IS hours. R. l.. RAGLAND.
Hyco, Va.