[8o 



Journal af Agriculture, Victoria. [lo Mar., 1911- 



tobacco is used for outside wrapper purposes, this is of paramount, 

 importance ; if cut on the green side, not only will the colour suffer, but 

 the toughness required in wrapper leaf will be sacrificed and a cover leaf 

 that will crack and break easily will be the result. For this class of leaf 

 every plant should be allowed to ripen well before cutting. 



With regard to cigar leaf it is found that, where grown on a sandv 

 warm soil, the plant ripens earlier by at least two weeks than where grown 

 on a cold or clay soil. It is never wise to allow cigar leaf to become at all 

 over-ripe before cutting, as flavour is of even greater consideration in this- 

 class of leaf, especially the filler, than in other tobaccoes. 



There are two methods of harvesting tol)acco intended for manufacture- 

 for pipe OT plug. The most popular in this country is that of cutting the 

 whole plant, including the stalk, and curing on the stalk in the sheds. 

 The other is stripping the leaves as they ripen nnd placing rhem in baskets, 



CROP OF LACKS TOBACCO READY FOR HARVESTING. 



in which they are carted to the sheds .ind there strung on twine or tied to 

 sticks. The arguments in favour of the first mentioned system are, that 

 the work is accomplished much quicker and more easily, and that, in the- 

 case of heavy tobaccoes, the stalk taking longer to cure helps to keep the 

 leaf from curing too fast in our dry climate during the autumn. It is 

 certainly a cheaper system in that respect, though more apparent than real 

 when everything is taken into consideration. 



Where leaf stripping is followed, there can be no doubt that greater 

 uniformity in ripeness is secured, as all leaves on a plant do not ripen quite 

 evenly at once. There is also less shed room required, a matter of moment 

 when timber is scarce and building dear, and a cure is effected more 

 quickly, which is often of advantage. However, the grower must decide- 

 for himself, according to hi^^ .conditions. Avhich is the better system for him 

 to adopt. Cigar <^o{>{ibt t'>/ rarely harvested on the leaf-stripping system 

 for reasons tha'^ -^ -<-..-'! 17 "•'lAter on. 



