The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1894-08-03
QUITTING roEAcco


of the stick and piercing the tohac.
co stalk with Ii and passing the
stalk down on the stick. The
spear is taken from stick to stick
and used in the same manner.
Some sections If country a large
knife resembling a butchers is
used 10 spin he stalks, md in
other places l,aves are pluck, d
from the STALKS n the field and the
stalk are left landing, :he leaves
are then Strun, IN string by pass
ing alarge needle through the butt
enu OF the stem of thu leaves, thu
ends o! the stri z are tied to the I
ends Of 9tiei, which is hung npI
Tor the tobacco cure. All these
plans are objt Gionable. The first |
because The LEI, 7es will not cure SO
well ON solid stalk as when the
stalk is split The second b.,
cause a butchers knife is very un-
handy and sboribEs to cut
Silh. In the lrfter case the leaves
will not cure WILL that are taken
from the stalk while greer.
A tobacco speed as it is sometimes
called, or tobar knife, has been
invented which works easy and
complete, somewhat resembling a
garden spadelr shape cutting down
in the same manner. The blade
should be three inches on the edge
narrowed TO thu .op to two inches,
and three inch. ; long, with stem
eight inches l,.ng of three-eighth
inch iron rod : lii to receive the
blade, and blade rivited and
handle resembling II large gimlet
handle. The knife should lie
eleven inches long from the edge on
the blade to the Top on the handle,
the blade should be mace as thin
as will bear without bending, OF
good steel,
The tobacco stick is pressed into
the ground sol, enough so as not to
fall over with the weight Of the to-
baccU in an upright manner lean
ing from the )bacco to be cut.
The edge of the knife is, set at the
second leaf to cutting, following
the center Of IL. stalk to within
five inches Of tue ground while tie
other hand follows the knife with
the pelm downward four or five
inches from the top of the plant
and catching atOund one half 81
the stalk with the thumb and the
other halt wit, the fingers. The
stalk is bent over from the cutter
and with stroke of the edge OF
the knife the ,lant il cut and with
the hand the knife is in we take
hold Of the butt OF the stock elevat-
| ing the stock IN this position 10
the top OF the STICK and in this man
ner is droppsd on the stick with
care TO not hrrak " double the
leaves, and in like manner till five
or six stalks are put on, and il
small as many ~ seven. We stick
the next stuck in the second
hill from the one just cut so AS Ia
lean over the slunp of the stock
The sticks OF 'obacco remain il
this manner til the tobacco is hal
wiled. We mean by this that i
should be willed just enough So
that if would MT break by hauling
and handling. fit is fully wlteC
it will be injured in hauling to tn,
burn by being bruised, il the sur
shines very hot it is likely to b.
sunburned, The best plan is IL
make scaflold at the barn am
haul when half wilted and on tn,
, soafiold for three or four days til
0 it begins to cure, and carry into
! the barn and hang. To haul tobac
90 we eau use common Wagon
by making a plFto Of two broad
boards twelve or fourteen fee: long
n and broad enough To be nctche
! for the standards Of the wagon I,
o hold them to Il cir places or a slet
i with platform will do even bette
han wagon a. steep land. II
place the tobacco on the platform
$ take hold OF the stick with on
hand on top OF the stick and tn
I, other at the bot ON, and with a toe
= il may he dropred straight to tn
9 platform; a considerable quaint
cen he hauled alta two-horse load
say from sixty to eighty sticks.
n better WY to haul on level Ian
A. il to have light frame wagon be-
II sixteen or eighteen feet long an
- four feet high, rn the top OF whic
sticks of tobacco are hanged b
pushing the toh icco to one side o
i. one stick aud to the other side o
as the next stick. |. crowded. NJ clos
y IN the bdwlll carry very we'll. Til
n. is better because the tobacco doc
not become badly pressed Il
gelher, and dors moi require niue
shaking out. This is very importal
4 that every leaf Skollld be shak,