^^4 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [lo Mar., jpri. 



The plants, when hnng u])on the sticks, are tied alternately with twine 

 on each side of the stick and well shaken out before finally hanging in the 

 shed. The reason for cutting the cigar plant without splitting the stalk 

 is to make the cure a slower process; cigar leaf cured fast is too brittle 

 for inside and outside wrapper. 



Harvesting Bright To-'bacco. 



The best system for harvesting the bright aromatic types, which are 

 smaller and finer in texture than the heavy plugs, is to strip the leaf off 

 the plant as it ripens and take to the shed in baskets, where it. is strung 

 on twine across sticks and cured by heat artificially. There is very little 

 of this class of tobacco grown in Victoria, though there is ample land 

 suited to the purpose. It should bt- thoroughly ripe when harvested. I'hf- 

 leaves should be strung on twine or wire, or tied by twisting the string round 

 each leaf, or in some cases three leaves together on each side of the hang- 

 stick. Some growers go so far as to carefully string single leaves back 

 to back and face to face, but this I think is somewhat unnecessary, and 

 takes up more room in the shed. 



Care in the Shed. 



As the tobacco is jilmx-d (in the lower tiers of poles in the shed it is 

 advisable to put about sixteen sticks of big tobacco in each length of i6 ft. 

 and as many as twenty of small tobacco. As the first floor of the shed is 

 filled it can be raised from floor to floor until the roof is reached, if this 

 system is adopted much heavy lifting will be avoided, as the leaf in drving 

 or curing is losing moisture continuously. 



The tobacco should not be bunched too closely as it is raised in the 

 shed, but a current of air should lie possible between the sticks on which 

 the plants are hung. As each stick is lifted and placed on the higher tier 

 of poles the hand should be drawn horizontally across the plants to loosen 

 any leaves that may be adhering to others. If much damp weather is 

 prevalent, during the time the tobacco is curing, it is well to go through 

 ihe tobacco and shake the leaves occasiomlly by the same process. Tobacco 

 '.should never be hung clo'Se to the ground floor as it will attract the soil 

 moisture and is liable to become mildewed in consequence. There is also 

 greater danger of fire where open pits are used in curing. The floor of the 

 shed should be keot clean for the same reason, as litter in the .shape of 

 dried leaves, etc., is liable to be blown into the fire and carried up to the 

 tobacco which is very inflammable when dry. 



{To he continued}) 



RESULTS OF SPRAYING FOR BLACK SPOT OF APPLE 



AND PEAR. 



D. McAlpine, Vegetable Pathologist. 



It is hardly necessary to enlarge upon the advantages and profit of 

 spraying for this fungus disease, since it has been .so long successfully 

 practised bv our up-to-date fruit-growers, and its efficacy so clearly 

 demonstrated bv numerous experiments in the different States, that spraying 

 is now regarded as necessary^ -f'-'uccess. Further, the nature and mode 

 of preparation and applif'^ ■"later on.T.n",-,g mixtures have been so definitely 



