Curing of Turkish Tobacco. 



»417 



The reeds remaiH in the wilting-room until the tobacco is yellow, 

 but not longer than four days. Should the weathei' ]>e very dry and 

 windy, and the tobacco gets a sickly ashj'-gi'een colour, it will be 

 necessary to empty a few buckets of water on the floor to increase the 

 humidity. The grower should be careful not to increase the moisture- 

 content too much, and great care should be exercised in this respect. 

 If the shed is kept full of tobacco, it is not likely that water will ever 

 have to be added. There is danger of insufficient moisture only when 

 the shed is not properly closed, or when there is little tobacco in it. 

 During the daytime the shed remains closed to prevent rapid drying 

 of the tobacco, and during the night the ventilators are opened to 

 cool the room and gradually to get rid of the superfluous amount of 

 water-vapour the tobacco gives off'. If it should lain, the shed is 

 closed at night and opened during the day, just the reverse of the 



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Fk;. 4. — T(>bM<;co exposed to the sun in ilryiiig-CMini 

 Second stage of curing. 



usual practice in dry weather. The reason is self-evideni . (Con- 

 tinuous rains during summer in the Western Province are such an 

 abnormality that it is unnecessary to discuss the steps which should 

 l)e taken in such a contingency.) Depending on the condition of the 

 tobacco, the reeds are removed to the drying camp in the open after 

 the third or fourth day, including the day of harvest. Here the 

 tobacco is placed about 4 inches apart on a trellis, so that the leaves 

 from one reed do not touch those from another (see fig. 4), and covered 

 for a day or two with hessian cloth, except when the weather is cool 

 or the sky cloudy, when it can be left open. If the weather is very 

 hot and windy, and the tobacco is not covered for the first day, it is 

 liable to scorch badly in the sun. After the first or second day the 

 tobacco is left uncovered, but closed during rainy weather and at 

 night to prevent it from getting wet with rain oi' heavy dew. 

 14 



