The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-09
METHODS OF CURING TOBACCO.
Scientific and Reliable Information in Regard to Cutting,
Curing and Housing the Crop.


tJuif0 fdDcIsJ
The following bulletin in regard to
:. ssifethods 81 Curing Tobacco" was pre-
psred 81 Hon. Milton whitney, chief diyi-
7 sjon Of soils. United states department Of
agriculture. 1t has been approved and in
sorsed BY the Texas Tobacco Growers as
soclation:
Tobacco goes through certain processes CT
fermentation, from the time II is cut until
Il Il ready for the manufacturer. During
this time 1t Is said to DO curing and aging.
Very little 10 known about the chemical
changes that occur in these processes. a
great deal OF work has been done By scr
entIfic men IN studying them. but beyond
the bare fact that they are sinilar TO what
ROSS on in wine and in the ripcning Of
cream and the aging Of cheese little has
been discovered. II is very important
field Of research and deserves thorough
investigation.
Upon the skill with which this curing
and aging is managed depends in large
measure the value Of the tobacco TO the
manufacturer. Farmers. as a rule, pay lit
tie attention 10 the matter aud lose the
profit that might otherwise be theirs. The
curling comes usually when farm work IN
general Ia not PRESSING AMI 1t Is therefore
the more deserving OF attention.
Only general principles can be discussed
i in tho present bulletin. Tor the minor de-
tells. however important IN the work a.
handling tobacco. n,iat he mastered by
actual experience, under the supervision Of
an expert. The Following suggestions viii
be found to andy TO widely separated local
tiles and TO tobaccos Intended FOR very diff
ftrent trades and usc.
,sffp1xf. MIR >,npr,tItnp,>, e-t,,X, m,
49,.
HsCEoa
Theoretically each tobacco plant In tho
cigar tobacco districts produces The filler.
!. \. =, al. i..... XIII.
~ - a'n Misppe' NECESSITY 'or '''' man
uiactue OF ctEsr me esst I1ayes are
10 be used for wrappers. tho aecond ounI.
~ for nde,s ,,b;,o ~. r,,i,sr taa,,
$1,000 Wy aih"' ''"'es
sre Tor hllers, Practically, however, II
takes leaves Of very different qualities and
rr.,nfr,ies r., malo tho bes, si,cr and M.
I, : - T. sss9stst
pest @rapper, ~ son Mni"" VIII pfouueo
the best grade OF wrapper Is not likely u
pfod,j>e a f,ller of CORE snondjnr value A
-, ...,.,.x In .,,. an, :, az
80
quality VIII produce wrapper leaf which
rs 100 neayy, strong ana daFB Tor our pres
olueFence IN the SOUS ninefept staueb OF
1onacco are prodpced IN the dinereht
Nortnern tonacco uietricts. inc main sortS
oi tne Connecucu. vahey crop are wrap
yer and binder lear. ihis does not mean
inat good nilers are not raised on some OF
Y q 90 ls OF the connecticut vailey' out the
average soils at present used for tobacco
produce good wrapper leaf ana poor
nlier, as a rule.
ON pne otper hand. The soils OF the topae-
go district OF OHIO are very strong, heavy
soils. containing ayery high water content.
These produce a strong. heavy, dark type
OF tobacco. which can be used at present
only for hiler purposes. Tho characteristic
crop az OHIO use1 10 be a wrapper, but IN
the cnangc OF style from dark 10 light
cigars the produce OF that district Is adapt
cd at present to the filler only. la Penn
sj1vania the same thing holds true, eNeep,
inat along, the river courses the soils are
lighter and a very ilne quailty OF wrapper
osh DC produced me main dependence OF
the growers is a hller crop. and ON the
heaviest limestone soils hller leaf only is
produced; The wisconsin soils appear to
come midway IN texture between the Con-
necticut valley and the pennsylvania soils.
and both filler and wrapper are produced.
~ IS Important that the distinction be-
tween the commercial requirements of the
wrSpper and the hller leaf be recognized;
TOT under the present demands 1t is not
oEiy Impossible to produce IA wrapper and
filler of the same excellence upon the
average soil OF any OF these Northern dis-
tricts. nut tho treatment OF tho plant from
the time II is set out until il is in the
hands OF the manufacturer should he DIFF
feIent. depending upon whether the main
leaf.
The crop 10 planted in rows, usually three
AMI ne-half to four apart. and eighteen to
twenty four inches apart In the row. 1t ia