Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-07
CURING THE TOBACCO CROP
Methods Are Outlined in Bulletin From De-
partment of Agriculture.
SuEEestiOns as to Degrees of Heat
Required and the Manner of
Preparing Leaf.

of bulletin Just prepared by. Milton WHIT
ney. chief of the division of soils of the
Agricultural Department. The bulletin is
considered especially apprCp pirate just al
this period. as the tobacco growers are
nearly ready to cut, house and cure their
crops. Interesting information is con-
tanned in the pamphlet regarding the meth
DDS in vogue in Virginia. Maryland. North
and South Carolina and Tennessee The
tobacco grown in Maryland and the
heavier soils Of Virginia ard North Caro-
lima is used both for manufacturing pur-
poses and for other trade. Tobacco has
been staple article of produce in Virginia
and Maryland since the very earliest colo
Mai times. and it forms very interesting
part OF the history of the development of
the TWO states. Large quantities were
formerly sent to France, Holland and Eel
giGm, and it was highly thought of fog
pipe smoking in our domestic trade II Is
bright. mild and sweet-navo-ed tobacco
for pipe smoking. In recent years. how
ever. the White Btrley has been coming
into great fay or for the same purpose thar
the Maryland and Virginia tobacco was
formerly used for the very much larger
yield of White Burley mas lowered the
price of the Maryland and Virginia tobac
COS almost below the point of profitable
production
Process of Curing.
The process of curing these tobaccos is
essentially as follows:
When ripe, the stalks are cut and split
lengthwise and laid the ground to wilt.
They are then strung sticks, four or six
on stick, and the sticks are hung on
low scafrold in the field Within week
they are hauled into a well-ventiated barn.
hung in tiers. and cured without the use
OF artificial heat The process of curing
must be gradual to produce a good and
uniform color This is regulated by the
ventilator doors. according to the temporal
fIIra nd he mr. All
can usually be cured in sin weeks The
leaves are stripped from the stalk during
the winter. graded as trash. bugs ana
bright. medium and dark leaf These are
tied into hands and bIlked down for
short time. after which they are priced
into hossheads- The crop goes through
certain amount of fermentation in the
bulk and il must be examined occasionally
to that the temperature does not run
900 high. When it Goes. as seldom happens
If the tobacco is in good condition wIen ii
Is put down. the bulk is turred over and a
new built up.
In Virginia. however there districts
where certain modified methods have been
used to such an extent as to give caarac-
ter to the tobacco. These are local meth
DDS. however, and are not as prominently
recognized now as they were a few years
ago.
Bright Yellow Variety.
The bright yellow tobacco of southern
Virginia, North and South Carolina, and
east Tennessee. is grown upon a certain
type of very sandy soil. The planting is
usually done from the 10th of May TO the
10th of June. The plant is topped to from
eight to twelve leaves. depending upon the
vigor of the plant and the character of
the season The more vigorous the plant
and the wetter the season the more leaves
can be left on to mature. The plant is
regularly suckereG every week if need be.
There are various methods of harvesting
the crop. Sometimes the entire stalk is cut,
will nj har fnhannnS nrlx hos
which appear to be ripe being taken ard
the others being left to mature further.
AT other times the leaves are picked oil as
they mature and the rest of the plant is
allowed to ripen further.
The second method has a decided advan-
tage from the fact that the leaves of
plant do not ripen at the same time. There
Is less waste and the leaves are all gathered
at about the same stage OF maturity. The
plant should be thoroughly ripe when cut
In order to give the finest texture and the
brightest color If the whole plant is cut,
it Is spread onto stick. or. if the leaves
only are stripped as they ripen, they are
strung on a string wire and attached to
lath- The leaves are sorted to certain
extent in the field. keeping those of a uni
form color and ripeness together much
as possible When cut. the tobacco is car
ried at once 10 the barn without exposure
10 the without allowing it to wilt
or TO lie upon the ground.
The tobacco barns are tight, with flues
running across a short distance from the
ground and returning to the chimney which
is built next to the FURNACE. In early days
barns were built of logs with the cracks
completely stopped with mud clay so
make them perfectly tight. The
barns are usually small, averaging from
sixteen 10 twenty-five feet square and of
about tire same height TO the plate. FIRE.
quently as many as eighteen 10 twenty of
these barns are built together on a planta-
ton. but never closer than about 100 feet
apart on account of the great danger from
fire. There quite number of different
harEs and of different fiues and of arrange
ments Tor distributing the heat. many of
them patented and all OF them described
with more less ninuteness in tobacco
literature
Heat Equally Distributed.
Ike tobacco IS hung in the barn in as
fresh a state as possible, anG the firing in
medately begins that the heat will
ascend into the tobacco while the leaves
are stiff and the heat can be equally dis
tributed throughout the space. Three
days are needed 10 cure barn, and it takes
from two 10 three cords of wood. 1t re-
quires very careful judgment and careful
observation to cure this bright tobacco
properly The least inatention or wrong
move is liable to reduce barn of the finest
yellow tobacco to very inferior grade.
No definite rules as;n be given. but the in
formation must be acquired through ex-
perience. preferably under the direction
Of some person who has acquired skill in
the method.
When the fires arc started. Il .hermom-
cter is hung level with the bottom
leaves. and is carefully watched lay and
night. while at the same time the plants
themselves carefully and frequently
inspected. The heat must be increased
very gradually. but it must never on any
account be checked. 1t must never he
so intense as to cause sweating. The first
process in the curing is 10 maintain a TEN
perature of ~ degrees or 10 degrees until
the leaf Is yoliowed properly. This re.
quires from eighteen to thirty-six hours
and must be very carefully mana ged. After
TIE yeiioTirS the heat is raised degrees
or 10 degrees at time, and held each
stage Tor one or two hours, until IL has
attained temperature of 10 degrees or
I'D degrees, where II is held for several
hours until the leaf is thoroughly cured
After this the stalk has TO be cured by rails
1rg the temperature u 10 degrees to ITO
degrees. by stages Of degrees to 10 de-
Srees per hour, and keeping the tempera-
ture at this point until the stalk is thor
oughly cured.