544 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



ers suppose it to, and that there is some reason for thinking that its 

 use niav tend to decrease the prevalence of calico.'"' 



Experiments in curing and in fermenting -wrapper leaf tobacco, 

 season of 1899, E. H. Jenkins {Connecticut State Sta. Rj^t. 1899^ 

 }>t. J, pp. '286-297). — These experiments in curing^ to])acco in a barn 

 provided with hot-air flues and in fermenting Connecticut tobacco in 

 bulk are similar in character to those carried on by the station in 1898 

 (E. S. R., 11, p. 730). The curing- barn is again described and some 

 data are given on outside and inside temperatures of the barn on difler- 

 ent days and at difl'erent times during the night. The night tempera- 

 ture of the air inside the barn is usually much warmer than the outside 

 temperature, while the reverse is frequently true in the daytime. The 

 general method in controlling the curing is to open the barn wide on 

 clear bright days and air it thoroughly. As soon as the outside tem- 

 perature falls to that of the inside, the barn is closed except under the 

 sills and in the ridge; the tires are started and run through the night. 

 "The object was to assist the upward air current which naturally moves 

 at night and to keep the tobacco from the night chill, thus making the 

 temperature of the curing much more nearly uniform."" Curing under 

 these conditions in 1899 was much more rapid than where no artificial 

 heat was used and proved valuable as a means of controlling the pole 

 burn. The system of heating adopted is not entirely satisfactory as 

 certain dead-air spaces occur which favor the development of pole burn. 

 The experiments in curing are to be continued. 



Some observations on the temperature of tobacco fermented in cases 

 were made during the spring and summer of 1899. The cases held 

 about 300 lbs. and were piled in an unheated storehouse, as is customary 

 in Connecticut. Weekly readings for 4 cases from March 4 to August 

 5 taken with telephone thermometers are recorded. Some of the 

 tobacco lay 9 weeks after the experiment began before reaching a tem- 

 perature of 70 -* F. It is believed "the greatest danger to cased tobacco 

 from mold and mustiness is when it lies cool, damp, and unfermented, 

 waiting for sufficient heat from the air to penetrate it and start the 

 fermentation." 



The experiments in fermenting Connecticut tobacco in bulk noted in 

 1898 (E. S. R., 11, p. 730) were repeated in 1899 in cooperation with 

 the Division of Soils of this Department. The bulk was built up on a 

 slightly raised platform 12 ft. long and 5 ft. wide, with vertical headers 

 of boards at each end. A layer of hot trash tobacco, which had been 

 sprayed with warm water and allowed to ferment for 4 days, when it 

 reached a temperature of 131° F., was first put down and then alter- 

 nated with layers of first wrappers, butts on the outside, the tips toward 

 the center. No pressvire was applied. The hands of tobacco were 

 simpl}' laid on the pile. Number 2 wrappers, which were too dry to 

 ferment, "were brought into 'case' by dipping the butts about 2 in. 



