The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-03-19

with led OF caeo4geA II the plants a-s
retarded By cosd OF vet weather force
them lstse With Iukewaxm water. The
frst growth Of the seeds - exceedingly
SLOW, and may discourage the new grover,
bat he vii! be assonHhed with the rapid
ity Of the Plant once we'll started in the
field TIE growth viii b psrcspsibis
every day.
that is 70 receive your tobacco plants
should b prepared with every care given
. truck garden, and - aoon a. you are
safe from all frosss, which in this country
may b set down - FROM the LIST Of Nay
20 the lss Of June When your ground 10
well prepared you are ready for planting.
"Piansing First furrow your one sore
in burrows three feet vide; then ridge
them With . cuisivafor, the damPness OF
this country justifying planting On top Of
the ridges. Next set your plants in the
set on. exactly ike cabbage plants. In
the East we have tobacco pant ssssers. fed
by boys. and large tracts are quickly
planted BY that neanA
Care and cuitivation-Your plants now
want TO be cultivated periodically and the
ground KEEP. Clean. In the Hast we are
troubled with tobacco worms, which we
two or three here in your fields las: sum
mer and they were Of different specie,
but it viii be safe for the grower 10 ex-
anime his plants carefully as intervals.
Topping - When the plants have
reached height of say three feet, with
from sixteen To twenty leaves on each
stalk, pass between the rows and break
the top out Of each plant This checks the
growth upwards and throws the force Of
the growth into the leaves. The topping,
however, will cause suckers to sprout from
the stalk right over each leaf: these must
be broken of ~ least twice before the crop
natures.
"Harvesting-whsn ripe the leaf turns
spotted and feels heavy, thick and leathery-
like 10 the touch This period in this
country ought TO be reached ABOUT the
LIST OF september. Harvest the crop on
sunshiny day if possible. Cut the stalks
of close to the ground and lay down care
fully " here cut to wilt, which, il the sun
shines, will occur in an hour or two. This
whiting makes the leaves tougher and less
brittle and therefore easier to handle.
Right here want to impress upon each
grower the necessity Of careful handling
Of each stalk from the moment 1t il cut
and Of preventing any of the leaves be-
coming in the slightest degree bruised,
because every such bruise made while
green viii show . corresponding spot in
the leaf when dried and will affect its
grade and value to that extent. When
properly wilted place your plants care
fully In a wagon and remove them to the
tobacco sheds, or drying house.
Tobacco shelby own shed in Penn
syivania, built to accommodate = crop
from iive-scre lot. is l2sx4 feet. with .
haif-pteh roof coming down to sixteen
foot side walls. This will give an
idea of the requirements of q one-acre
tract. Four tiers Of poles fourteen
inches apart, are arranged ono over the
L.
ing four feet ten inches. Each pole should
be from three to five inches through and
twelve feet long. resting on ridge timbsrs
along the center Of fhe shed. The sheds
in this country should be tight. and con-
sidering the general dampness OF the
country need have no ventilators along
the four sides near the bottom, such az
are used in the Eastern states. II will DO
necessary. however, owing to the damp
ness, to run a stovepips through your
shed with sufficient fire to keep out the
excess dampness and assist the curing
process, which should, however, be az
slow a. possible to insure the beat results.
"Curing--There are three methods Of
hanging the plants in your shed for cur.
ing. The first 10 by wire hooks in the
shape of an s. One point - run through
the pole. The second Is called appearing.
This is done by running . heavy round
lath through the end of the stalks ~ they
are picked up from the field. and when
iath 10 full hang il on frame in wagon
and transport thfrusto the shed. whore the
iath Is transferred to frame to suit. The
third and most practical method. well
adapted to this country, Is using twine.
This is the cheapest and works the quickest
both in hanging and in taking down. The
process Of hanging with twine 10 simple.
namely: Let the stalk project about an
inch over the top OF the pole, loop the
twine around the top Of the stalk only,
then run the twine diagoualiy across the
top of the pole to the second stalk on the
other side aome four TO six inches from
the line OF the first. put similar reverse
loop over its top, cross again over to an
other stalk and repeat the process on
either side of the pole until the pole Il
loaded with row OF stalks on either
side.
''Curing-Lct your tobacco cure as slow
as possible, and make sure that Ii does not
mould or pole-burn. which means rotting.
Ii will take from three to four months to
cure it properly. and this can be deter.
mined by making sure that the butt or
stem of the leaf is rs dry - the top.
Taxing down--When thoroughly cured
take the punches OFT the poles. using the
same care as when putting mp, lay them
on the ground, then strip the leaves from
the stalks preparatory TO bundling This
bundling is done by having q box from
thirty-four to thirty-six inches in length,
according TO length of tobacco, and from
eight to- ten inches wide. Lay two to-
bacco twines in this box. one about eight
inches from each end, with ends of Irvine
laying out in notches in the boxes prepara-
tory to binding when the box is ;ul. Lay
the leaves in this box, stems out
ward and leaves tapping, press down
a -. sta - Il fall q,
strings over the top aud tie up. which will
form bundle. Rack these bundles like
cordwood in tho shed. but keep the ends
awag from the side of the building 30 that
they may cont nue. drying.
"Sorting-Nexs comes the most dif1cutt
portion OF the business. namely. sorting,
which experience alone can give. | can.
however, give pretty fair idea OF il. The
tobacco can be sorted into from three To
five different grades, though in the East
four grades are used only. namely: Long
wrapper. medium wrapper. short wrapper,
binder and filler. Sorting is a matter
IN which the eye and the ing
ers become educated, namely, clean,
smooth, sven-coiored leaf nice to the eye.
will recommend itself for the higher
grades, " ale the raw, coarse. ragged leaf
will be- rciegatei to the bindsr and tllsr
grade The sense of touch as a sorter il
hard 10 explain. vet so perfectly do the
experts reach results that by simply run.
ming leaf loosely through the partly
shug hand they can grade it accurately.
Hands-After the sorting the tobacco,
according TO grades. is pn, up in what is
known TO the trade as hands. which con-
tain from sixteen to twenty leaves each.
These are punches az the stem and held
together with q slim, nee. small ieai,
Which is wound around the top and held
tight By running the end through the cen
ter OF the bunch. The cad OF this bunch
should be about the size Of broom handle.