The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-08-20
RALEIGH, N. c., AUGUST 20, 1895.

out the width of the door and short
posts. Set under each end the move
able poles should be stout enough to
sustain the weight of man while put
ting up or taking down tobacco The
pack house, if built Of logs and daubed,
should be thoroughly dried out before
using for storing purposes.
1t takes generally three and half to
five days to cure barn of tobacco
properly, so that leaf, stem and stalk
will be thoroughly cured. However,
from many causes, it is often difficult
to kill out every stalk, and when a
curing is removed to the pack house, a
close look out should be kept for any
uncured storms or stalks.
When toba eco is first cure d it is open
like a sponge, and if the weather is
rainy or the air damp, it will soon be
charged with moisture, and become
damp and timber. and in a short time
will change to it's natural color, which
is amber or pale cherry red.
Then will caution you that if you
have succeeded in curing bright barn
of tobacco, and the weather is rainy or
very damp, see to it that you do not
let your tobacco become high in order
this can be prevented by keeping a
little fire in the aues. Never remove
a curing to the pack house when it is
misty or fOggy, II the weather is suit
abe when the tobacco becomes Just
soft enough to handle without break
ing the fiber, remove to the pack, ,bouse.
Commence in one corner of the room
and shingle down acre s. one side or
end; then place down another course
or layer until the bulk is too high for a
man to stand on the fl )or and place it
upon the bulk. Here it should remain
in bulk until it presses out straight and
fat, when it should be hosSed to the
poles. Commencing at one end of the
barn, place the first stick butt down,
| then run the course to the of, being
careful to keep the leaves straight, and
| if there is a stick not we'll killed out be
sure to put it near the roof, in the top
course. If placed lower down it will
mould and stain any plant that may
touch it. Be cure to place the butts
down on all the lower tiers; this will
prevent the tobacco on the lower tiers
/ from changing color, which it is sure
20 do, if exposed to light and air. Be
very particular in handling. Do not
crush the leaf. Do not break the fbers
or stem. Make it an invariable rule to
never trail, bruise, crush or break to
bacco. Never tread upon leaf, either
cured or uncured Handle it at every
stage( las a mother would a new born
babe from the hill to the market, and
you will be richly repaid for all your
trouble. In fact, no one but patient,
painstaking person will succeed we'll in
growing fine tobacco. If a damp, warm
fall follows, it is difficult to keep to-
bacco from becoming high in order,
This can be done by keeping inside the
barn small stove, Or by placing burn
ing coal in a pot OR iron vessel, in the
! pack house. If stove is used, see to
it that no tobacco is near the pipe, ar
that the piping does not set fire to the
wall. Freshly cured tobacco will not
catch on fire from a spark, but the
older tobacco becomes the more readily
it will ignite. Very old tobacco will
ignite almost as readily as punk.
Later in the season l will write on
marketing tobacco. B F. WHITE.