Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-10-24
FOOD FOR FARMERS
POINTS BY WHICH THEY MAY
PROFIT.
THE CURING OF TOBACCO
First Leaves to Ripen Should be
Plucked-Relative Profits of Sell
ing Milk, Butter, Cheese or Cream
Which Feature Pays Best-Re-
suit Of Tests.

For years the tobacco growers of
New England, New York and Penn
sylvanIa have realized the difficulties
Of curing tobacco according TO the
usual practice. More or less loss re-
suits from imperfect curing, house
burn and other causes. If there is a
better way, all are interested to know
it. \ method that has recently ac-
quired a degree of popularity in
southern states, notably in North
Carolina, where it originated. is thus
described in The Country Gentleman.
Under this system the routine of
planting and cultivation need not DIFF
FER, essentially from that in general
use. The first Improvement diverg-
ence from the ordinary line Of prac
tice is made when harvesting begins.
The usual way is to cut the stalk at
the ground, at the time when the
largest part of it's leaves are ripe.
Just previous to this topping of the
plants is done, when a number of
the upper and immature leaves are
broken off and thrown away.
By the new plan the leaves which
ripen first are plucked from the stalk,
leaving the rest to be gathered as
they mature. The bottom leaves
which are thus saved, as they are the
first to ripen, would otherwise decay
and be lost before the other leaves
of the plant are ready to be harvested.
The leaves are gathered at several
different times always from the bot
tom, until nothing of the plant is left
in the field but the stalk and its
suckers. Removing the first leaves
is said to hasten the maturity of the
rest, so that the entire crop may be
secured earlier than it could be other
wise, thus lessening the danger from
frost. Finally, the top leaves, which,
when ripered, are not without value,
are saved.
A great advantage claimed for this
process is the complete separation of
the leaf from the stalk as soon as
the leaf is ripe. 1t is said that if the
leaves are rot removed, the stalks will
extract nearly two ounces of the oil
of tobacco from every pound of leaves
cured on them, and that when the
leaves are cured separately the TO-
bacco is about Is per cent. heavier
than it otherwise would be.
The leaves of the tobacco plant do
while the stalks are maturing the
leaves are becoming worthless. This
fact puts the farmer in a dilemma.
If he leaves the plant until some of
it's leaves are Overripe, it is believed
that their oil is absorbed by the
stalk, and their value thus impaired.
If he cuts the plant while some
lesJves are green, these immature
leaves will be of little worth. 1t is
urged that loss in either direction
may be avoided by taking off the
leaves as fast as they ripen.
IL practice the leaves are gathered
and laid in baskets three feet long,
eighteen inches wide and nine inches
deep, and in them conveyed to the
curing house. This building is pro
vided with heating apparatus, usually
in the basement. The leaves are
strung on steel wires, eighty-four
leaves to a 'tstick." AS soon as a
section" of sticks is filed it is
hoisted to it's place. The leaves are
cured in a very short time compared
with the process of air curing on the
stalk. House burn or pole sweat is
said to be entirely avoided.
Several patents are held in connec-
ton with the process. In the few in
stances in which the leaf cure has
been tried in Connecticut and Penn
sylvania the growers have seemingly
concluded that it's advantages over
the old method are more than offset
by the great additional labor and eX-
pense involved.