Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1896-01-09

besides, by close attent1On, ne ma.
learn in one season to cure wei
himself.
Fixing The Color.
When the tobacco is sufficiently
yellowed, best leaves of uniform
yellow, and the greener ones of 1
light pea-g green color, it is time tt
advance the heat to 100 degrees
observing the leaves closely to de
tect sweating, which will soor
redden and spoil the color, unless
driven off. To do this, open th'
door and let it stand open, and af
ter an hour or more the sweat has
not disappeared, open a space be
tween the logs on opposite sides
of the barn to let in more air, anC
permit it to remain open until the
tobabco has dried off all appear
ance of the sweat. To dry off the
sweat speedily, sprinkle dry straw
or hay over the floor and set fire
thereto, using just enough straw
to accomplish the desired result.
Right at this point more curings
are spoiled than at any stage of
the process. 1t may be well to
remember what is fact, that at
least five curings are spoiled by
proceeding too fast, to one failure
from going too slow.
Keep the heat at 100 degrees
for four hours, and then advance
two and one-half degrees for ev-
cry two hours, until 40 degrees
are reached. Here you have
reached the most critical point in
the difficult process of curing
bright tobacco. The condition
and appearance of the tobacco
must now be the curer's guide. No
one can successfully cure tobacco
until he can distinguish the effects
of too much or too little heat in
the appearance of the leaf. Too
little heat, in the fixing of the
color, operates to stain the face
side of the leaf dull brown color
and is called "sponging,' and
may be known by it's appearance
only on the face side of the leaf.
Too much heat reddens the leaf,
first round the edge and then in
spots, which are visible on both
sides. Now to prevent sponging
on the one hand and spotting on
the other, is the aim of the expe-
rienced curer. No definite time
can be laid down to run from ITO
to 12O degrees. Sometimes four
hours will suffice, then again eight
hours is fast enough. While it is
usual at this stage to advance
about 5 degrees every two hours
for medium tobacco, the condition
of the tobacco often indicates, to
the practiced eye, the necessity
for slower or faster movement.
But it is safe not to advance above
110 degrees until the tails begin to
curl up at the ends. Arrived at
120 or 125 degrees, this is the
curing process. The heat should
remain at or near these figures
until the leaf is cured, which will
require from six to eight hours,
according to the amount of sap in
the leaf to be expelled. When
the leaf appears to be cured, ad-
vance 5 degrees every hour up to
ITO degrees and remain until
stalk and stem are thoroughly
cured. To run above $50 de-
grees is to endanger seorching the
tobacco, and perhaps burning
both barn and tobacco.
To recapitulate-
First, Yellowing process, 80 degrees
from "a to 80 hours.
Second. Fixing color, 100 degrees
hours.
Second. Fixing color, 100 to 11O, 23 de.
grees every 2 hours.
Second. Fixing color, 110 to 120, to
hours.
Third. Curing the leaf. 120 to 125, tt
8 hours.
Fourth. Curing stalk and stem, 125 tt
17O. B degrees an hour.
And continue at one hundred anl
seventy degrees until stalk and stem are
thoroughly killed and dry which US
ua1ly requires from IL to Is hours.
The following is given as the
latest improvements in curing to-
bacco: House the tobacco as soor
as cut, and after warming up tht
barn for two or three hours at /,
temperature of about 90 degrees
advance the heat rapidly up te
125 degrees, or as high as it vii
bear without scalding the to.
bacco, letting the heat remain a
125 degrees only few minutes
and then, by drawing the fire.
and turning the hampers, cut of
the heat and let the temperatur,
of the barn descend to 80 degrees
Following this mode the vel
lowing process is greatly short
ened, requiring from four to eigh
hours less to yellow sufficiently