148 JoLTEXAL OF THE Dei'artmext OF Agricultuek. — AuG., 1922. 



aroma of tlio tobacco will also improve. If the leaf is bulked too dry, 

 none of these changes will take place, and on the other hand if bulked 

 in too high a condition, the tobacco will heat or become mouldy. The 

 grower must therefore watch each bulk at frequent intervals, and as 

 soon as the tobacco begins to heat must rebulk same. After leaving* 

 the tobacco in bulk for about six to eight weeks, the leaf can be baled 

 and sent to the market or taken to the co-operative warehouse. 



General Eemaeks. 



The quality of the tobacco jDroduced in the Union can still be 

 improved considerably. Sometimes good quality leaf is grown, but 

 the value is reduced very materially during curing. The remedy lies 

 within the reach of every grower. Tobacco growers must acquire a 

 better knowledge of the general principles underlying the curing of 

 their product. In possession of this knowledge, the grower will be in 

 a much better position to know how to construct his tobacco sheds, 

 and how to manipulate these during the curing of his crop. He will 

 realize the importance of moisture and heat during curing and when 

 to make use of them, and thus produce a better quality leaf, which 

 will more than pay him for the extra care and labour involved, 

 (lenerally speaking, our climatic conditions are favourable for air- 

 curing tobacco, although in Avet seasons much better results could be 

 obtained by making use of artificial heat in air-curing, or by flue- 

 curing where the soils are suitable for the production of this type of 

 leaf. One of the reasons why practically no tobacco is flue-cured in 

 the Union is perhaps due to the fact that where the soil is suitable 

 such a high percentage of cigarette leaf can be produced in tha 

 majority of seasons by air-curing. Another reason is that those who 

 have attempted flue-curing in the Union have had no encouragement 

 from the manufacturer in respect of better prices, and as it costs 

 more to Hue-cure than to air-cure tobacco, growers have not been too 

 anxious to go in for flue-curing. Flue-curing has the advantage that 

 the grower is not at the mercy of the elements and can control these; 

 and no matter what the state of the weather is, he can always cure his 

 crop successfully. 



Flue-cured Tojjacco. 



Barx Xo. 4. 



2Sth March to 2nd April, 1922. 



