The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-09


, ami tightly pressed down TO exclude the
air as much az possible. The tobacco %
piled into the box and pressed down with
a moderate pressure. and then the top OF
! the box Is screwed on. The cases are then
marked and piled up in the ware house IN
rows three or four boxes high, Cor the
sweat. Once, at least, during the season.
good packers turn the boxes upside down
and put the top boxes at the b5ttom.
The tobacco Is cased in the fall or win
ter. and so RENAME through the next sum-
Incr. The temperature of the warehouse
Is quite even during the winter. After the
summers sweat the operation is finished,
and the eases are opened and sampled,
This es one year after the harvest. After
sampling, the tobacco Il returned to ths
ensc without breaking the bulk. and re-
mains in the case until 1t In wanted BY
the cigar manufacturers.
Il The whole process of fermentation In
y this. operation L. largely matter of
chance II IL not controlled. the temper
+ ature Is not taken 10 Tote the progress of
thc5 fermentation, and nothing Is done, in
\ loInt OF fact. except to maintain the tenn
pcriiture OF the room moderately uniform
during the winter reason. In some cases
K The fermentation Is overdone and in other
4 cases IT. Is UNDERGONE. There is a strong
feeling among tho more Intelligent planters
!. that mefn information * needed upon
the changes which take place. In order
4 J1es. Is room for marked Improvement
in greding ami sorting the tobacco and
putting II uron lie market. Complra-
lively Ntilc attention Is given TO ahig
/ subject. and as a consequence cases when
Iorened SHOW various sized leaves of various
colers and shades. a profitable Lesson can
be learned from the methods OF .hc Cuban
and S,imatfa gfowcrs With them the TO-
bacco IL graded very strictly according
10 the length ot leaf and the color and
shade. The small manufacturer In bliWin,
n few bales ia able to maintain q uniform
brand ri rigars He is not able 30 do tfhis
With small stock Of domestic leaf on
account OF the great variation in tho color
OF The leaves
CURING TOBACCO IN FLORIDA
There are two important tobacco areas
in FlorldaSithe old nrea in tho north
wcstern part Of the State ON the Lsfay-
cite clsys and the new area, in tho center
OF the peninsula around ocala, Barlow.
Fort Meade and adjacent towns. Toe soil
i is quite different. but the tobacco II trent
ed in essentially the same way In both
lncalitlee Both Cuban and Sumatra To-
baccos are grown In the northern and
WESTERN parts of tho State, while mainly
Cuban tobacco Is grown In the peninsula.
The Suinatra tobacco is planted in ows
fest apart and IL inches apart in row
II Is not topped until quite late. and the
field well in bloom, and from q 10 ss
leaves are left on tho plant. This thick
planting. and tho large Number OF leaves
left on the stalk insures email leaves OF
, Thin texture The tobacco III prlmad--
that Is, the leaves are gathNrei az they
ripen. The harvesting is thus prolonged
and frequently lasts from June 15 to Sep
ttmhcr 10. mono of the leaves being taken
of until they show signs of being ftpe.
i. TIE Stmatrp t0baprO when n IN fad ear.
ly in tho season 10 without spots and makes
, what Is known MS the plain wrapper. When
, planted late It spots freely.
/ The Cuban tobacco is n smaller plant.
The leaves are smaller and only about IL
= o. 10 are left on nlant. On the PENN :
t si;la. especially at Fort Meade. great
o !, deal OF the tobacco land is irrigated by
r overhead sprays. It il claimed that this
I materially has,ens the maturity OF the
, crop, so hat II rlpens In from forty five
, 10 might've days from the date Of setting
out. II Is usual to grow two or shrce
sucker crops from each planting and two
main crops are planted each spring
and tall. The sucker crop Is not At for
Wrappers as rule. as It Is too strong
1t makes good, strong fllcr
The Cuban tobacco is harvested by cut
ting the whole plant and spearing on laths
or by printing or by cutting tho stalk in
sections of two leaves each. In printing,
the leaves are put into baskets and car
rie'd 10 the barn In covered wagons. They
are then strung on strings tied to laths
hnger width apart making from 40 to so
leaves on each lath. The laths are hung
up In well ventilated barns and allowed
TO dry. When thoroughly cured and the
leaves are IN proper ease order they
arc stripped off and tied into hands. These
hamdls are then bukei for the sweat, the
cuban and sumatra tobaccos being kept
separate.
hhc hnlks may be built up directly on the
floor or tho leaves may be put into bins
In large establishments the temperature
and humidity of the room ran be thorough
~ regulated to eecurc uniform progress of
the fermentation. This Is done by steam
4 pipes TO warm tho room, in which there a.s
vents for the escape OF steam when IL is
desired 10 make the atmosphere more
moist. The temperature OF the room is kept
quito high. and the vapor from the bulk
! which is being worked over is very pun
gen. ana almost overpowcrins. There is
very strong odor OF ammonia which
makes i difficult TO breathe.
The bulk Is watched very closely, and
as the temperature rises il is torn down.
each hand OF tobacco is taken up and
shaken thoroughly to dry II a little 10
eooi = slightly. and to open the leaves so
that they VIII not stick together Before
tho sweat ~ completed the bulk Is pulled
down ana built up eight or ten times. ac-
cordinR 10 the condition OF the tobacco II
~ impossible. even for an expert curer. 10
give explicit directions as 10 when the
hulk should be turnea, as II depends en-
tirely upon the condition OF the tohacco
and the temperature 1t attains. aud thess
must be determined by the operator.
! The temperature must rise gradually.
and u II Is found to be rising too rapidly.
the bulk Ia torn down and fresh one
built up. Sometimes the bulk Is not I'm
over twenty-four hours before II is torn
down again and built up afresh. II the
tobacco Is IN high case, that is. quite moist,
the bulks have to be turned over freauenf-
~ IN order 10 prevent 100 rapid action aud
70 shake out the leaves which would
otherwise stick together. II bulk. as
seldom happens. should dry out. Il is turned
over ans mixed with bulk which is in
high case. The tobacco should never he
sprinkled Ia this stage OF the process 10
bring It Into care.
The temperature OF the pile Is allowed
10 rise Eradualy until Il occasionally
reaches $50 degrees Fahrenheit The fer
mentatton Is then at Its highest. Frcin this
point the Temperatures subsidies until The
fermentation is complete aud the bulk at
tains the normal temperature OF the room.
This maximum temperature must not be
rx><1e asts al Il.