The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-03

shady, airy place to dry. Leaves Of the
described characteristic indications after.
wards dried slowly in the shade turn
solden-brown. the color 90 much asked
by thistledown, which very frequently oc-
ours in this country, you have to put
them in water for half an hour or 50, then
wash them out and let them dry; this
does not impair their quality.
Only few plants are necessary to raise
seed. Therefore with all other ones the
buds Of the flowers should be destroyed Is
plant to concentrate all it, power in the
leaves.
If you wish to raise leaves for the cigar
manufacturers, vou have to do away with
all the leaves. branches and buds a. soon
a. they appear, except the four to six
leaves on the main stem, thus securing
the only valuable large leaves But do
time, because this kind of tobacco can
only be sold in large quantities, and We
have, as far as know, scarcely q market
for them. 1t is, so think, more profit
able at present to have all the leaves
which the plant may produce, and to pre-
pare them for smoking tobacco.
The first light frost, which occurs in this
part OF the country generally, but not
every year. between the 10Th and 25th of
September, did never injure any of my
tobacco plants. Thus q second full crop
of very valuable leaves 10 secured and to
be harvested at the end of October.
The fall leaves are q listle stronger and
smaller than the summer leaves, but they
are free from gum, thistle down and inju-
ries of the ground hea, . kind of jumping
jack" Of the potatoes; they are very
strongly favored and, therefore, may turn
out by and by as the most valuable part of
the whole crop.
About the end of October or the begin
ming of November, before the wet season
is setting in, used to cut off the plants,
split the strong stems lengthwise and
hang them up. top downwards, to get
them to dry.
In January or February. according to
the locality where they are, the leaves and
stems become dry and may be taken off,
You have to air, to ventilate the room,
where they are drying, in order to prevent
them getting mouldy, which, specially on
stormy. rainy days they would very easily.
above the kitchen or dining room are best
adapted for the drying process. If the
leaves once get mouldy they lose all and
every value.
4 Packed and pressed in a tight box,
covered with blankets and put into a warm
room, the leaves commence to ''sweat,"
getting warm, even hot and by this
SutCN WltHAA tWO Va tuISO WCcASs xhib
important process is the most difficult task
OF the whole business, because the fungi
destroy your tobacco if you allow it to
sweat" too long and it does not become
cured enough if you take it out too early.
You ought to pay the greatest attention
to this work: the value of the tobacco as .
merchantabie product depends a great
deal on your success IN the sweating"
process. Only by experience you may
learn to find the correct way.
After the curing process is over the
leaves have lost that disagreeable. wild,
green" taste and scent, and will turn out
as . very valuable merchantable produce,
which you may sell at a several times
higher price than most of the better quail
ties of our tobacco in the stores.
In no distant time certain parts OF Wes-
tern Washington will become one of the
most celebrated tobacco growing districts
in the world. There is no question any
more about this. Everyone interested in
agriculture. especially in the fruit growing
industry, should try to cultivate the su-
perior kinds of tobacco. 1t is one of those
few plants which yield high rewards the
same year they are planted. and it grows
between-the rows of the young trees Of our
new orchards. 1t may help to bridge over
the almost unsurmountable gaps of time
between the planting Of the fruit trees and
the first paying crop they will furnish at
the fourth or fifth year. X. LUDLoFF.