34 



weight of 128 pounds per half acre in favor of the latter. 

 Major R. L. Ragland, a large and successful grower of to- 

 bacco in Virginia, states that he has for years employed 

 both methods with success, and there is no doubt that in 

 parts of Virginia and North Carolina the method of strip- 

 ping the leaves has recently come into decided favor. 



A contrary view is held by Prof. Wagner, of Darmstadt, 

 Germany, a most reliable authority, and one in whom the 

 Germans have great faith. He says: If the leaf is picked 

 before it is ripe, it needs a process of subsequent ripening 

 to give it a good quality. This is impossible if the leaf is 

 separated from the stalk. With this view another German 

 writer, W. Tscherbatscheff", also agrees. J An experiment 

 conducted by JSTessler shows that the dried constituents of 

 tobacco cured on the stalk, and separate from it, show no 

 appreciable dift'erence in weight."^ 



These opinions are conflicting and irreconcilable at pres- 

 ent, and further investigation will have to be made to set- 

 tle the question. 



XII. Snoav's Modern Tobacco Barn. 



This new process of harvesting and curing tobacco was 

 introduced by W. II. Snow, of Ilighpoint, North Carolina. 

 Fisrure 19 shows the view ot this modern barn. 



i Tscherbatscheff W. Dcr Tabak mid Seine Kidtiir in den Nordamerikanischen 

 Staaien, Laud^virth Schaftliche Jahrbuchcr, 1875, /■ I°2- 

 *Wagner, I. C, p. 88. 



