412 



Journal op the Department op Agriculture. 



leaves facing- the saine way, and then strung on to twine wliicli is tied 

 to a reed or stick. Fonr-and-a-half to five needles' full are strung 

 on a 7-foot reed. The loose end of the twine is then tied tightly to 

 the other end, and at every foot of the distance it is fastened to the 

 reed with bits of string to prevent sagging (see fig. 2). If the twine 

 is tied loosely, there is risk of the leaves packing- in places, with the 

 result that mould generally sets in. Every full reed is marked with 

 a label bearing the date and the number of the picking-. It may be 

 added that every reed should contain leaves only of the same size and 

 ripeness. After a rain the grower should wait a day before coniinu- 

 ing to harvest, as certain oils are washed oft' the plant by rain, and at 

 least a day of sunny weather is required to allow the plant to replace 

 iheni. It takes about three months to complete harvesting. 



4. 



ir-A ■' 3l ' ' 4W5I ' ' 6l ■ ' 7I ■ I 8l--.'-9|.--l..'lld ' 'ill' ' '1I2 I \\i ' '1I4 ' 'll^ ' 'll6 ' il7 ' iii ' lb' I *' ' '211' 



[Pilot by P. A'orlt. 



V\G. lA. — Leaves of the lour principal types ol 'rnrkish Toliarco : — 



1. foulook : 2. Kavalla ; 3. Dubek ; 4. Samsun. 



Conipar>_' size of leaves with inches on tajie measure on ])hoto. 



The Curing Process. — By curing of tobacco is meant not only 

 drying, but drying under certain combined conditions of temperature 

 and moisture, whereby necessary chemical and physiological changes 

 in the constituents of the leaves take place, wdiich will improve the 

 colour, aroma, flavour, elasticity, and other desirable properties of 

 the cured product. If freshly harvested tobacco were dried in a hot 

 oven and subsequently made into cigarettes, the habitual smoker 

 would scarcely recognize it as tobacco, and would, moreover, find it 

 nauseating. (The writer has, however, seen certain natives in the 

 Eastern Province dry their tobacco quickly over a fire and afterwards 

 consume this " stuff " with apparent relish.) There are dift'erent 

 ways of curing, but the principles are more or less the same, though 



