150 



Allow them to remain in this position for 48 hours, or until the 

 edges of the leaves turn a yellow colour, the remainder of the leaf 

 will also be of a slightly yellow shade ; when this colour is attained, 

 thread as previously described, put the laths on the bottom bar- 

 raderas for 24 hours, allowing the leaves on each lath to touch one 

 another, shut the house during the day, and open at night. 



Great care must be taken to prevent excessive moisture, as pole 

 sweat, mould, and other damage to the leaf arises in that case, 

 which must be prevented. The curing of the tobacco is completed 

 when the mid-ribs of the leaves are brown and soft. The time for 

 curing the tobacco that has been primed is from twenty to twenty- 

 two days, at which time it is ready to be fermented, or 

 the laths may be adjusted on the top barraderas of the house, and 

 there remain until such time as sufficient dry tobacco is ready for 

 fermenting. To get the tobacco in condition to handle, all the 

 doors and ventilators must be kept open during the night previous 

 to putting into the press. The next morning the tobacco will be 

 in what is called " good case," that is it should have taken up suffi- 

 cient moisture to have become soft and pliable. The tobacco 

 should contain at least 25 per cent, of moisture before being put 

 in the bulk (press) then the process of fermentation gives the leaf 

 a light brown colour. If the tobacco contained 25 per cent, of 

 moisture when bulked, and the curing house be kept at a tempera- 

 ture at from 75° to 85° F. the tobacco will generate sufficient heat to 

 cause a daily rise in temperature of from 8° to 10° F. For deter- 

 mining the temperature of the bulk of tobacco, during the process of 

 fermentation, a thermometer was placed in the centre of the bulk ; 

 the following record of temperature (in degrees Fahrenheit) during 

 the first fermentation process is given as follows : — April 1 2th to- 

 bacco put in bulk (press), 13th at 7 a.m. 80°, at 3 p.m. 89°, 14th at 

 7 a.m. 96°, at 3 p.m. 102°, 15th at 7 a.m. 1 10°, at 3 p.m. 114°, 1 6th 

 at 7 a.m. 119°, at 3 p.m. 122°, 17th at 7 a.m. 125°, tobacco taken 

 out of bulk and put in a second bulk (press). The second bulk 

 should be allowed to remain 15 to 20 days by which time the to- 

 bacco will have warmed up considerably, though it will not reach 

 as high a temperature as in the first bulk. If the tobacco did not 

 contain an overabundance of moisture when first bulked, it will be 

 dried off by this time and the temperature will fall to about 96° or 

 100° F. The tobacco will now be thoroughly cured and ready for 

 assorting and baling. 



Sizing and Assorting. 



When the tobacco has been thoroughly cured it is ready to size, 

 assort, and to be baled or boxed. The sizing is the first work, the 

 various lengths of the tobacco represent its various characteristics 

 and types of the leaf, making 5 lengths from 10 to 12 inches, 12 to 

 14 inches, 14 to 16 inches, 16 to 18 inches, and over 18 inches. 

 After this work is completed the assorting or shading is completed, 

 making claro or very light brown, Colorado claro, light brown 

 Colorado maduro, brown, and dark brown, and light and dark 

 broken leaves, with the last named all leaves of uneven colour or 



