lo April, 191 j .] 



Tohacco Ciillurc. 



231 



the topmost leaves also are inferior to the mi<l(lle. and these should be put 

 into the second or third class, together with any damaged or bad leaves 

 off the middle. The best leaves should lie classed as firsts, keeping the 

 long leaves all together, and the shorter likewise. The colours should be 

 kept as evenly as possible together. Texture, c(jlcur. size, and soundness 

 should all be taken into consideration. As the leaves are classed they 

 should be tied in hands, or bundles, containing about ten or twelve of the 

 same class or grade, the tie consisting of one of the smaller leaves ; the 

 •butts should be kept even, and the tie wrapped round as close to the end of 

 the butt as can be done safely, extending down to a depth of net more than 

 2 inches. The loose end is tucked in between the leaves, and the hand 

 re-hung on the sticks and put up on the tier poles again. These hands can 

 be put close together on the stick, about ten or twelve being the usual 

 number. 



The general practice with 

 local growers is to make only 

 two grades or classes, but this is 

 a mistake : three are quite few- 

 enough. In America, as many 

 as twelve are made in some 

 tobaccoes. It is true that this 

 is generally done by the dealer; 

 but, as we have no middleman 

 buying and re assorting tobacco, 

 it is the more necessary for the 

 Victorian grower to give atten- 

 tion to this particular point. 

 Another mistake has been the 

 making of too large a hand, 

 often four times larger than it 

 should be. Very large hands 

 take longer to tie, and cannot 

 be made as neatly as smaller 

 ones. They are more liable to 

 come loose, and when sampled, 

 after pressing, do not show well, 

 owing to the leaf having presse;! 

 flat, while the butts look too iia.nds or bundles ok tobacco as 



large in proportion. The bu\ er classed in shed. 



immediately concludes that there is too much mid-rib in comparison with 

 the usable ])ortion of the leaf. The tie also has to be made deeper to hold 

 the larger number of leaves, and this makes the leaf look shorter. The 

 better the ai)pearance of the leaf, the more money it will sell for. It 

 is a g(K)d habii to i)ulk down sufficient tobacco on the sticks, if it is 

 thoroughly curtil, to provide stripping for several davs. Where the 

 grower has had some experience, the whole crop can be put down for 

 this purpose, but should be re-hung as stripped until bulked for the sweat 

 or fermentation process. The assistance of children can be availeil of 

 for strip|)ing. as the work is liglit anrl ple.isant. 



HCLKING DOWN FOR THE SWEATING PrOCES.S. 



After tin- tobacco has been thoroughly cured. stri])ped, and ehissed, arid 

 re hung in the shed, it should be kept in sweet conrlition until the spring, 

 hy the use of fires or ventilation, and the .shed kept darkenel. A plat- 



