78 MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. 



seventy days after transplanting. The rows should be 3^ tVeiand the 

 plants 2£ feet apart. The average yield is 1,000 pounds per acre. 



Harvesting may be done by priming the leaves or by cutting the 

 entire stalk. In priming the tobacco the leaves are stripped from the 

 stalk in the field as they ripen, and are strung on strings attached to 

 laths, about 30 leaves being allowed to each lath. These are then 

 hung in the barn to cure. If this method is practiced, from 11 to 16 

 leaves may be matured on each plant. If it is desired to cure the 

 tobacco on the stalk, the first four bottom leaves should bo stripped off 

 and the tobacco topped, so as to leave from 10 to 12 leaves on the 

 stalk. In cutting the tobacco the stalk should be split from the top 

 down to within a few inches from the last set of leaves, and then the 

 stalk should be cut just below these leaves. The plants are hung on 

 the lath by opening the split, 6 to 8 plants being allowed to each 

 lath. These are carried to the barn, where they are hung in tiers. 



This tobacco is cured as follows: The barn should be heated to 100° 

 and allowed to remain at that temperature until the tobacco colors 

 well. The temperature should then be gradually raised to 110° and 

 retained until the desired colors are obtained. At 120° the tips of the 

 leaves on the first tier should show signs of drying, and at 125° all the 

 leaves on the first and second tiers should be dry. At this point the 

 barn should be gradually heated to 145°, a pause of several hours being 

 made at 140°. By this time all the leaves in the barn should be dry, 

 but in order to kill the stem the temperature should be raised 5°. 

 Then a rapid rise should be made until 175° is reached, at which tem- 

 perature the tobacco should be thoroughly' cured. 



The soil best adapted to this type of tobacco is a light-gray sandy 

 loam. 



Maryland Smoking Tobacco. 



Prepare the seed bed for this variety as for Cuban tobacco, sowing 

 the.seed from February 1 to March 20. The other operations in the 

 production of the two types are the same up to transplanting. The 

 Maryland smoking tobacco is transplanted from May 15 to June 1, in 

 rows 3 feet apart, the plants being given a distance of 20 to 21 inches 

 from each other in the drill. The plants should be topped so as to 

 leave about 16 leaves to the stalk. The average yield is 1,000 pounds 

 to the acre. 



In harvesting this tobacco, the plants are cut and four rows are 

 thrown together. They are then speared on sticks, from 6 to 8 plants 

 being allowed to the stick. Care should be taken that the plants are 

 not crowded too closely on the sticks or in the barn. The sticks are 

 hung about 8 inches apart in the barn, and after the tobacco is half 

 cured they can be put closer together if necessary, say about 1 inches 

 apart. It generally takes about two months to cure this tobacco suffi- 

 cient!}' to strip. 



