DIRECTIONS FOR CULTURE. 19 



the plants, the flower cluster should be covered with ji light and strong 

 paper bag before any of the flowers blossom out. in order to prevent 

 c-ross-fertilization. The bags should be kept in good condition and 

 not allowed to injure the top of the plant in any way. They should 

 remain over the flowers until a sutiicient mwnber has been fertili/.ed to 

 produce a good supply of seed. 



The time for harvesting will depend to a considerable extent upon 

 the season, l)ut the ripeness of the leaves can be distinguished t)y the 

 development of irregular, light yellowish colored patches over the 

 surface and a thickening and crumpling of the bod}' of the leaves. 

 The leaves should be harvested before they become overripe, and it 

 is the usual practice to pick them at three or four diflerent periods, 

 the lower leaves maturing tirst, the middle leaves next, and the top 

 leaves last, generally allowing from six to eight days between each 

 picking. After picking, the leaves are carried to the curing shed in 

 i)askets made for this purpose and are strung on 4-foot laths specially 

 arranoed for them at the rate of 30 to 40 leaves to the lath. The 

 leaves are arranged back to back and face to face, and are regularly 

 strung on the cord attached to the lath. The laths are then hung in 

 the curing shed, where the leaves are allowed to thoroughly cure out. 



When the tobacco is primed from the stalk it should not take more 

 than three weeks to cure; when it is hung on the stalks from four 

 to six weeks are necessary. The manipulation of the curing barn is 

 governed entirelv In' the condition of the w^eather and the nature of 

 the tobacco, so no flxed rules can be given. However, in a general 

 way it can be said that the barn should be opened during the day and 

 kept closed at night. If there are frequent showers and but little 

 sunshine, the liarn should be kept closed and small flres started, dis- 

 tributed throuirhout the building. These tires should be continued as 

 lons" as it is necessarv to drv out the entire barn of tobacco. AVhere 

 charcoal is not available, wood Avhich has as little odor and as little 

 smoke as possible should be used. It is very important to dry out 

 the barn without giving the tobacco any foreign tKlors. To obtain 

 the best results the tobacco should become moist and be fair!}" dried 

 out once in every twenty-four hours. 



When the midribs are thoroughlj^ cured the leaves are ready to be 

 taken to the packing house. To get the tobacco in condition to han- 

 dle, all the ventilators should be left open for one night, opening them 

 about 6 o'clock in the evening. Unless the night is a dry one. the 

 tol)acco will soften before morning and be in condition or "good 

 order;"* that is, it will have taken up suflicient moisture to make it 

 soft and pliable. The barn should then be tightly closed, in order to 

 retain the moisture, and the leaves taken from the laths and tied 

 into hands of convenient size. The bottom, middle, and top leaves 

 should be kept separate in the barn. After the tobacco has been 



