149 



degree of ripeness, and this is a very desirable object. At the same 

 time there is danger in harvesting too green, as in such cases the 

 leaf has an uneven colour when cured. If allowed to ripen fully, 

 its texture and toughness, and its delicate pea-green hue will be 

 spoiled. 



Three or four leaves are generally taken off in the first priming, 

 then an interval of several days will elapse before another priming 

 can be made. It is usual to make 5 or 6 primings of a crop, which 

 occupies a period of from four to six weeks. As the leaves are 

 picked off the stalk they should be kept straight, placing them back 

 to face, and laying them in baskets 36 inches by 18 inches and 12 

 inches deep, lined with shade-cloth with the butts to the ends of 

 the basket, and the tips to the centre ; they are carried in these 

 baskets to the curing house. Never pick the leaves while the dew 

 or rain-drops remain on them as spots will result. It is preferable 

 to cut in the afternoon as the sun is getting weaker ; in the fore- 

 noon, unless cloudy, there is a danger of sunburn. 



Curing, 



When the leaves are taken to the curing house 30 or 40 are 

 threaded on a string, each end of which is fastened to a lath 4 

 feet 3 inches long by | inch thick. The leaves are placed on the 

 string face to face and back to back to prevent curling ; the laths 

 are put closely in the bottom barraderas where they may remain 

 from 48 to 72 hours according to the, moisture in the house, then 

 carried up and adjusted on the upper barraderas, the laths put 

 about 6 inches apart. The drying of the leaf in the curing house 

 is entirely governed by the conditions of the weather, however, in 

 a general way if the house be filled with green tobacco, and the 

 weather is hot and dry, the house should be tightly closed for 

 about 3 days, by which time the tobacco will turn yellow ; the 

 house should then be opened at night, and kept closed during the 

 day ; this is done to prevent rapid curing which gives a green and 

 uneven colour. To obtain the best results the tobacco should be- 

 come fairly moist and fairly dried out once in every twenty-four 

 hours. The opening and closing of the house requires to be done 

 with judgment because it is by the process of allowing the tobacco to 

 becomealternately soft and dry that the leaf is properly cured. If the 

 season during which the tobacco is being cured is excessively hot 

 and dry, as was the case in curing this crop, means must be found 

 to keep the house moist. In this case it was found necessary to 

 hang cloth round the inside of the house to retain moisture, also 

 instead of threading the leaves on string and fastening to the laths 

 immediately on being brought into the house, the leaves were 

 partly sweated on the floor of the curing house, spread in lots of 

 12 leaves one above the other, back to back, and face to face, 

 covered with green banana leaves. If the floor of the house is made 

 of earth it is necessary to spread old shade cloth or bags beneath 

 the leaves to keep them off the damp floor, otherwise the bottom 

 leaves will get black and discoloured ; particular care must be 

 taken not to sweat the leaves when damp with wet or moisture. 



