The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1902-02-21

cilitate the curing process. 1t is posi-
BILE to construct curing house so as to
guard against the whims of the weather,
and it would add much to the value of
our Wisconsin product, if the tobacco
sheds were tightly sheeted up, on the
sides and ends, and provided with shin
gle roofs Then the buildings if proper
ly ventilated, could be manipulated so as
to exclude the dry atmosphere and re-
tain the moist air for longer period of
time.
MODEL CURING TOBACCO HOUSE.
A model curing tobacco shed should be
located close to the we'll and wind MILL
The mill should contain a water tank,
elevated twenty-five feet from the
ground. The curing house should be
provided with galvanized cylindrical
troughs, three inches in diameter fas-
tened to the sides and ends of the curing
house. These troughs should be two
feet below the ewes, and be perforated
on the outside, and so adjusted that they
could be fed with water from the tank
Then during the excessive dry weather,
the planter could provide a moist at
mosphere, day or night, and thus expe-
dite and assist the curing of the crop.
BY opening the horizontal ventilators in
the curing house, and turning on the
water from the windmill tank, the pres
sure from which would force the water
through the cylindrical troughs, and,
produce a fine spray on all sides of the
building. This spray could be utilized
as the operator might see fit, to assist
the curing, which should he continually
going on without interruption or exces-
sive dry atmosphere. The operator
should also attach hose to the tank ia
the windmill and spray the ground un-
derneath the Jobacco which would as
sist materially in the curing process go
ing on in the shed, and this would also
furnish an efficient means for spraying
the tobacco plants which could be To-
Gated on the south side of the tobacco
shed, all of which would prove of mater
ial usefulness. By this artificial supply
of moisture we believe it would be pos
sible for many of the tobacco planters in
Rock and Dane county to cure their to.
bacco as expeditiously and as effectually
as is done in the famous Connecticut
districts, and in the Kickapoo valley of
Wisconsin, where the growers are favor
ed with fog and a moist atmosphere
during September and October.
This theory may seem visionary and
impracticable, but we believe many of
the tobacco growers in our state can af-
ford to tear down their old sheds and
build new curing houses, located so as
to avail themselves of wind mill water
tanks and artificial spray, as indicated
above. 1t is an admitted fact that
large proportion of the tobacco sheds in
Wisconsin admit too much sunlight and
drying atmosphere. This is detrimental
from scientific standpoint to the effect
ual curing of tobacco, and the sooner
the Wisconsin planter realizes the diff
ference between drying tobacco and cur
ing tobacco, the better for him from
financial standpoint.
In order to effectually raise the stand
ard and enhance the value eff our Wis
consin product, more attention must be
paid to scientific curing. It is reason
able to believe that the day is not far
distant when the majority of the tobacco
growers of Wisconsin will pay more at
tention to the experiments which are be-
ing conducted in the cigar leaf produc-
ing states in the union, and it is to be
hoped that through the medium of the
Tobacco Growers and Dealers Associa-
ton of the state of Wisconsin, lasting
good may be accomplished by cooperating
with our Agricultural Experiment sta
ton, and disseminating circulars of use
full knowledge pertaining to the curing
and growing of tobacco. We believe
that the future watchword of the major
ity of the tobacco growers will be: pure
Seed and a Higher Grade of Binders and
Wrappers for the Market"