The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-03-05

az II depends entirely on the maturity OF
the plant. which 10 indicated I'm the FIRST
instance by pmple which makes i,s
appearance on the leaf. and later on by
the leaf itself turning a light orange
color The leaves are cut In pairs, called
'mancuernas," which are placed on rods
4l-2 yards long called "cujos'
(wthes). After cutting. II the weather
Is good the tobacco leaves are exposed to
the sun for two or three days on ten
dales' drying apparatus). and then
taken TO the curing houses. which are
closed Theoretically should the wind blow
from the north or northeast but thrown
open should n southerly or humid wind
prevail IL takes two and half months
before the leaves are completely dry ans
ready 10 be "empilonado." l. e., piled up.
This operation consists in collecting care
fully 80 or 200 'mancuernas' or pairs OK
leaves from the withes and tying them
together by their centres by means ~
fine piece OF "majagua." which Is the bark
of Cuban tree and closely res >mples
bast. after which they are buiit up ia
heaps. This must be done In damp
weather. and for this reason Is generally
deferred till the months or May CT June
Q. Stripping and packing!
should be piled up cannot be deter
mined with any degree of certainty. II OF
n good quality II should be piled up
from forty to fifty days. But II straw
like. fifteen or twenty days are sufficient,
or as soon as the first fermentation SUBJ
sides when the leaves are stripped from
tho stalks and made into sheaves and
sprinked with a fine spInge with an in
fusion obtained by STEPPING a certain
quantity of stalks I'm clear water and
stirring every twenty-four hours Until
the water becomes the color Of sherry.
The process IS known as "blandureando.
During the night the leaves arc gathered
and heaped up In seroons. This IS called
TO "dar burro." The first thing next
morning is the "abertura' or sorting OF
tho wrappers, filters and scraps. The
wrappers arc then examined by experts
and classified under different names and
I'm classes ranging from first and fifteenth
-~quabrados" (broken) land 'resagos
(refuseD The leaves are then sheaved.
-Four leaves making a "monojo' (hard-
| fulD and eighty "manojos' bale. The
bale Is made by placing four yaguas'
which arc the lower and broader ex-
| tremities OF dry palm leaves bound to-
gethor by three strings in special
| frame. The "monojos' are then arrang-
cd on the "yaguas" i'm two rows of three
LAYERS each. TWO layers of thirteen ma
! noios". and ono OF fourteen. The
"yaeuas" are then bent over and the
strings pulled tight and secured on top,
and finally another cord IS fastened
round and tho bale is complete.
VALUABLE INFORMATION.
| Condensed directions for producing
cigar tobacco from fragrant Havana
seed
For Tide Water Virginia
Bottom land, sandy and gravelly loan
| preferable, deeply plowed, thoroughly
| narrowed before planting. and II neces-
| sary. plowed with cultivator and har-
rowed smooth. Laid off In rows checked
| three by three feet. Plant late In the
evening. and II possible, after n shower
! Careful planting will insure quick start
| and vigorous growth. stem down tho
plant. keep out all grass and work thor
! oughly with cutivator until the buttons
appear on. Top none under twelve leaves
and up TO the button. Use no rank ma
| nure. A commercial fertilizer OF per
cent. phosphoric acid (avaD, per cent
potash. X. 20, derived from sulphate pot
| ash. and per cent. ammonia, derived
from nitrate soda and dried blood Put
ON 200 mounds to the acre Cure by sun OF
air. Flue-curing would do for filters but
might lessen the fragrance. In curing
and handling follow Cuban directions
modified by personal experience.
Middle Virginia
New ground with sandy top soil
Growth. hickory. dog-wood. white OAK
preferable. Keep middle OF rows vel
broken at first.
Piedmont
Black rock land southeastern side
OF foothills. Growth hickory, dog~ood
white oak and huckleterry slopes. Rows
! three and one-auarter feet by two feet
I'm hill. plant or ridge. made by TURNING
nlow. Coulter middle of rows, first work
ing.
Valley
II tried IN this section select lightesi
sandiest lands and follow directions as "a
| Piedmont. The bright tobacco lands OF
| Southwest Virginia could probably make
decided success on southern exposure.
Blue Ridge Division
Follow directions for Middle Virginia.
Southern exposure in Floyd. Carroll,
and Grayson, IN tho valleys would sue
coed.
The same directions for cul,ivatlng,
toppine. narrowing curing. handling. etc
modified by the Virginia personal exper-
ionce Of the planter applies 70 any sec
ton. The Southern Planter for jan
nary and February contains n full de-
scrip'ion ~ the tobacco culture In
| Florida. which viii repay the reader.
THOMAS WHITEHEAD.
Commissioner.