232 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 April, 191 1. 



form should be made about i or 2 feet from the ground, on trestles or 

 logs, the floor of the platform being made of boards or hang-sticks ; if 

 the latter, clean straw or bags should be placed on top. Bulking down 

 should never be done while the leaf is so dry that it will crumble, neither 

 should it be put down when the tobacco is so full of moisture that it will 

 mould. The right condition is when the mid-rib will crack two-thirds of 

 the way up the leaf, and if the leaves are squeezed together in the hand 

 they will open of their own volition when released. It is never wise to 

 put tobacco down until the first warm weather in spring. Tobacco can be 

 put down in cold weather, with a large amount of moisture content, and 

 will be safe until the warm weather ensues, when it is liable to mould, 

 and will not sweat properly. The proper season is when the tobacco is 

 coming into condition with the first warm moist weather, that is, after the 

 tobacco has been dry, and is becoming sufficiently moist to handle without 

 breaking, and will .stand the tests previously described. It will then go 

 through a mild sweat or ferment, and in three to four weeks' time will open 

 up greatly improved in quality and aroma. Much tobacco has been ruined 

 by non-observance of this practice. If the tobacco is bulked down when 

 the moisture is drying out, after a wet spell, the sweat will not be satisfac- 

 tory, and unless it has experienced some warm weather, will not be safe to 

 pack, as it will go mouldy in the bale or cask. 



Having got the tobacco in good condition, and the season being suitable 

 for bulking down, the tobacco should be taken from the tiers and 

 packed upon the platform, keeping all the butts to the outside. 

 It should be kept as straight as possible, and can be piled to a height 

 of 5 feet. It can be piled while still on the stick, or can be 

 taken off and packed by itself. One fairly large bulk is better than 

 two small ones. The best leaf should be put in the centre of the 

 bulk, with the second grade at the bottom, and the third on the top. 

 When finished, the whole pile should be covered with old tarpaulins, 

 hessian, or any old cloths, over top and sides. The bulk should be 

 examined every few days to see if heat generates, and directly the tem- 

 perature rises above 80 deg. F., the whole should be turned. The inser- 

 tion of the hand well into the bulk will indicate whether there is a rise in 

 temperature, but a thermometer placed in the centre of the bulk, with a 

 cord attached, will be a more reliable guide. Tobacco, if put down in the 

 right condition, does not always require turning, but will go through a mild 

 sweat; properly speaking, it should never be packed for market until it 

 has gone through a spell of moist warm weather. Three to four weeks 

 is the usual period allowed for the sweat, but if the weather continues cold 

 after bulking it should be left longer; once it has gone through the sweat 

 it can, if required, be left for months in bulk, and will continue to improve. 

 It should, however, be in a dry situation and be kept dark. 



When re-bulking, it is necessary to put the tobacco that was outside in 

 the first bulk to the centre in order to get an even fermentation through- 

 out ; also, the hands should be shaken out to allow the admission of air to 

 the leaves during the operation. The work sliould be done quickly, so as 

 to prevent the tobacco cooling too much. It is sometimes necessary to re- 

 bulk twice or three times, but this rarely happens with plug leaf, unless 

 it has been put down with too much moisture in the tobacco or very moist 

 humid weather prevails during the sweating season. 



If it is found that the tobacco does not increase in temperature, the 

 placing of weights on the bulk, in the shape of rails or any other con- 

 venient material, will bring about the desired degree of heat. 



