The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-08-04
CURING TOBACCO.

Curing tobacco is a very important
matter and should by all means, have
the strictest attention. There is nc
one who can tell another exactly how
his tobacco should be cured, and it
makes no difference how we'll his expe.
perience might have been in his own
curing. 1t depends a great deal on the
condition Of the tobacco when it is put
into the barn as to how it will cure. 10
curing tobacco n must use his own
Judgment to a great extent.
l will give you my idea in curing as
best l can. When your bottom leaves
commence getting yellow and you have
enough to fill your barn. put some
good and careful hands to printing the
ripe leaves off. Be- sure and don't prime
the green ones off, as they will not
cur with the ripe ones. Let some boys
take it as fast as it is crapped and put
it In baskets. Have some men to take
it out to carts or to the tables built for
the purpose.
I don't let my tobacco touch the
ground from the time it leaves the stalk
until it is put in the barn. Do not let
it stay in the sunshine, but hurry to
the shade, and have your table made
Of plank or brush, or you can have 1T
under a good shady tree. The sun
should not shine on it after taken from
the stalk. Get it to the barn as soon
as you can after it leaves the field
Don't pile it up in large piles if you can
help it. | built some racks around my
table and hung it up as fast as they
could string it until I could take it to
the barn. Build your table about 2 or
d feet high and 5 to 6 feet wide and as
long as you want it. empty the basket
full of tobacco on this table; then the
women and children, with needles
made out of umbrella ribs about IS
inches long, a string it. Two needles
full of tobacco will fill one string. Be
sure and don't let it get bruised or
broken up. II you allow it to get
bruised the spot will be on it after it is
cured. Too much care cannot be taken
in handling your tobacco. As to string
| use some Irvine, No. 8 thread. You
can buy it in balls and cut it up in
pieces six inches longer than your
are; then cut a slot in each end
of the stick with a hRnd-saw; part the
tobacco in middle of string and hang
it across middle of stick. Now fasten
the ends of the sticks, and hang it in
the barn 6 to z inches apart and spread
it out on string to keep it from scald-
l put from 900 to 500 sticks to a
16 foot barn, according to size Of to
bacco. Fill your barn full in one day
if you can, as it will cure better than
two days filling. Close all ventilation
up tight and put fire under it as soon
as full, and go up to 100 degrees AID
stay there until your tobacco com
menCes to yellowa little, and then go up
2 degrees an hour. If you can, stop at
100 degrees a short while if your TO-
bacco is not following too fast. If it
is, you car go to 10 degrees and stay
until it gets a pea green yellow, but
don't let it get too yellow, as it is more
apt to sponge now than when you ere
the colors. Now it you are
ready to leave 40 degrees, open the
ventilation OF top and bottom of barn
and go 2 degrees an hour to set the
Here you must be your own Judge.
II you go too slow you will sponge the
face OF the leaf. Give it plenty Of ven
to keep it dry and from sweat
ing Step at 116 degrees two hours, at
l26 degrees for four hours, at 100 de.
grees for four hours and 1876 degrees
until the leaf is almost dry. You must
the stops or rests. They are to
or tougher your tobacco so
it will take the heat without red
Now when the leaf about dry
you can close up all the ventilation,
and start up from 1875 degrees to kill
the stem. Go 2 degrees an hour and
at 140 degrees one hour, 146 Gle
yress one hour and $50 degrees one
hour When you get to 165 degrees
stop and kill out stem from 1865 to 10
and keep the heat up 5 or 6
hours after you cannot fiud any swell
stems, so you will be sur to kill them
0ut, for if you bulk down swell stems
your tobacco it will be sure to mould.
Now when you gee ready to take your
tobacco out of the barn, open the ven
and let it come in case. Be
sure and don't let it get too high. Just
80 you can bulk it down without break
it IN toO had ia best. or when the