Daily Kennebec journal., 1913-07-03
How Tobacco Is Cured.


The curing % tobacco involves many
complex changes in the composition
and properties of the leaf In u bulletin,
just issued by the department of agri-
culture. W. w Garner. physiological in
ehaase of tobacco and plant nutrition
d.f estigations. points out that one of
the characteristics of The tobacco In
dastrY is the fact that there s a large
number OF distinct types OF tobacco
produced. ard the methods of curing
often differ radically as applied to
these different types.
There are iva distinct methods of
harvesting tof'aceo and of arranging
II IN the barn. In one sfsl ltod the
leaves are picked from the stalk as
they ripen and are arranged on strings
or sticks suitable for hanging in the
curing shea IN the other the leaves
are not removed from the stalks, but
the latter are cut off near the ground
AMI hung up in the barn, with the tips
downward. The leaves on the plant
do not all ripen 1t the same time, 50
that the stalks are cut 1T such time
as Will give the greatest number Of the
best leaves at the proper stage Of ripe
ness. This causes considera BILE sacri-
flee in both bottom and top leaves.
since the former are ovsrripe and the
latter still immature, hut this process
saves labor. In many eases both meth
,ods give satisfactory results when
properly carried out, ana the question
as To which is the better in any given
case must be decided largely by the
local conditions. such as the amount
and kind Of iabor supply, the barn
spaee available. and the like. as we'll
as by the relative value of the crop to
be cured. siueh Of the highest priced
tobacco is now being cured after the
leaves have been picked from the stalk
BY the method generally spoken Of as
'.priming.3
Aside from the two methods of har-
vesting the tobacco crop there are
three essentially different wa%s of cur
ing. These are: Air curing, N which
little er no artificial heat is applied;
nue enrine. in which the tobacco IS
cured by artificial heat and in such
way as to prevent smoke coming in
contact with the leaf; and fire curing,
in which the tobacco is largely cured
by artificial heat applied by means of
open fires made on the floor of the
barn, thus allowing smoke to come in
contact with the leaf.
The bulk of the cigar tobacco crop at
the present time is grown in Massa-
chusetts. Connecticut, New York, Penn
sylvania Wisconsin. Ohio. Florida, and
Georgia fhe finest wrapper leaf is
grown in the Connecticut valley and
in a few counties of western Florida
and southern Georgia. Wisconsin is
known as a binder state, and New
York. PENNSYLVANIA and Ohio mainly
produce filler grades. All cigar tobae-
COS are al: cured. and the general 4
methods OF procedure are essentially
the same in all the states that grow
cigar tobacco.
The biggest part of the hurley crop
is erown in north central Kentucky,
and ir, a few counties of West Virginia,
Ohio and Indiana bordering on the
Ohio river Like cigar tobaccos, hurley
is cured without the use of artificial
neat. except when there is danger of
Injury from pole sweat or house
hufn.n
In the large territory west of the,
hurley district and extending from
No. Tennessee through Kentucky into
southern Indiana. including the So
called one-sucker and the Green river
districts, the tobacco is mostly air
cured. As n rule, artificial heat is not
used in curing. but i'll the Green River
district some growers burn coke IN
long open CRATES in the barn when un-
favorable weather occurs. The cared
product is USUALLY assorted into TIRE"
grades-trash, mgs and leaf.
When the thoroughly cured tohacco
has become pliable by the absorption
of moisture during a damp season the
plants are removed from the STICKS
and the leaves stripped off. They are
serarated into three grades. The ieal
grade is further subdiVided into sever
al grades based on size Of leaf and col
or. The several grades are tied INTO
neat bundles containing six 10 eight or
more leaves. In the Nirginia iire-cured
district the tobacco is sold loose ny
the auction system. and this method OF
marketing has recently g&ined ground
in the western districts, where form
erlv it was the general practice 20 pack
or prize the leaf in hogsheads. To-
baceb packed in hogsheads is sold pN
sample, so that careful asserting ana
packing are necessary If the highest