Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1898-08-04

very strong sunlight makes it yer
hard to distinguish the differei
grades apart. A room of this kin
with windows properly arranged, an
stove in one corner, and benche
placed along two sides of the room o
which 10 place the tobacco whil
stripping, is good enough for all oil
dinary purposes.
When the tobacco comes sin case
it is taken down from the rails an
the stalks taken from the sticks an
piled up on the benches with tn
! points of the leaves toward the wall
so that the butts of the stalks are t
the inside Of the room for the conven
fence Of the operators.
The different classes of the Whit
Burley tobacco are: First, trash sec
ond, lugs; third, bright leaf; fourth
red leaf; fifth, tips. The trash il
taken of the stalk first, and consists
of the ground leaves, which grow a
the bottom Of the stalk, and are in
ferior, fiimsy and more or less dam
aged.
When taken of the stalk the trasf
can be tied Immediately or dropped
to the floor to be tied some othel
time. The lugs come next In order
on the stalk and are taken of and tied
into "hands." The lugs are made tiI
ofleaves which have damaged points
ragged edges, ETC., and are not good
enough for bright leaf and too good
for trash. The bright leaf consists
Of the bright-colored leaves about the
middle of the stalk, and is the bes,
selling tobacco on the market. The
red leaf is heavier in body and Of a
darker color, as the name implies.
The tips are the undeveloped leaves
found at the top Of the stalk.
As the different classes are stripped
from the stalk and tied into "hands''
they are kept separate. The hands,
which should not be made too large
(from sixteen to twenty leaves will
make fair-sized handy, are placed
astride a stick as they are tied, plac-
ing ten hands on each stick. The diff
ferent classes should be graded as to
length, not only in the hands, but al
so on the sticks; that ia, the leaves of
each hand should be near as possible
the same length, and the hands of the
same length should be placed togeth-
er upon the same stick. Otherwise, il
no attention is paid to the sizing, the
crop will have ragged, uneven ap-
pearance. This to some may seem
quite unnecessary, but the difference
even in the appearance of the crop
will amply repay for all pains taken.
AS the cropis stripped, the stripped
tobacco should either be hung very
closely on the rails or cribbed down i'm
the center of the barn until the bulk
ing season comes on, when it can be
hunSu up or spread more loosely on the
rails. This method of cribbing or
crowding keeps the tobacco sweet
ard III good conaition until warm
weather. The proper way to crib
down tobacco is by laying it down in
large piles with the butts of the
hands out, leaving the points of the
leaves exposed as little as possible.
When the crop has been stripped the
barn should be cleaned of all dirt and
rubbish and the bulking floors gotten
in readiness for bulking the crop.
BULKING THE CROP IN GOOD CON-
DITION.
This should be done the first time
the crop is found in good condition,
for If it hangs in the barn through
warm, wet weather there is danger of
mildew. In case the crop has not
been bulked ,and it is liable to mildew,
some dry straw spread on the ground
under the tobacco will help very ma
terially in keeping mildew of. 1t is
not common that the crop Is found in
"keeping case"befofe warm weather,
and even then it requires close watch.
ing. To be In proper condition for
bulking it should be of uniform case |;
that is, the points and body Of the
hand being the same.
It is considered in fair case when, II
pressed together, 1t will open out
again and not stick together, and the
stems should be 80 that they will
break and not be tough and pliable.
A "sweat-case" is considered the best
and safest, and it Is said by men who
have had years of experience, and
who are good authority, that q real
sweat-case can not be too high for
bulking in good condition. The sweat
case usually occurs on warm, sultry
morning when there are indications
of q storm. This usually occurs from
seven to ten o'clock in the morning,
but under proper conditions the to-
baccO can be found in case almost
any time during the day.
AS much Of the crop as possible
should be taken down at once, as 1t Is
not often that the different grades of
the entire crop can be found in condi-
tion at one time. When the tobacco
comes in case 1t Is cribbed down in q
long pile parallel with the bulking
floor, In order that 1t may be conven-
lent fof bdlking. Some growers have
1t cribbed for some time before bulk
ing, but we think the best plan is to
bulk at once, for sometimes the dry,
hot winds dry the tobacco when left
thus, and it causes time and trouble
to get in good condition again.
The bulking is done by two or more
men, one laying it on the bulking
floor five hands ut a time, which are
taken of the stick and handed to him
by an assistant. AS he lays 1t on the
floor he presses it down by passing
over it on his knees, being careful to
keep it straight, SO that the points
will not be crumpled or doubled up.
The bulking Is done by bulkinp along