lo Aug., 1911.] 



Tobacco Culture. 



543 



the wind. The sides can be made of paling or weatherboard ; where 

 bark is obtainable it will suffice. Shutters or xentilators should be all 

 round the building, to enable the air to circulate freely throughout when 

 desired, and the roof should be well ventilated. Such a shed can be 

 ■extended to three rooms, that is. 48 ft., but longer than this is not 

 advisable. 



A very good shed in the north-east of Victoria is built of bush timber, 

 with Gippsland paling roof, and paling shutters for sides. The dimensions 

 are 36 ft. by 40 ft., including skillions, and the capacity is sufficient for 

 4 acres of tobacco. The cost is just under £,2P, labour and material 

 included. 



The majority of sheds in u.se at the present time are unsuited to the 

 cure of good tobacco, but could be made effective with a little additional 

 trouble. The custom has been to build long, narrow sheds, with sides 

 imperfectly closed, with bark or rushes to the height of the first floor. The 

 intermediate spao- lutwitii this floor and the eaves is enclo.sed with cheap 



RING .SUED (American). 



hessian, which is raised or lowered when desired. This is not sufficient 

 protection against the changes of the weather ; the tobacco is at the 

 mercy of drying winds or wet spells, is cured either too fast or too slowly, 

 and is often ruined after curing by constantly absorbing moisture, and 

 again drying out with every change of atmosphere. Flavour and colour 

 p.re lost, and in many cases the tobacco becomes half rotten through mildew 

 on a great part of the leaf. A large proportion of Victorian leaf reaches 

 the market in this damaged condition, and the reputation of the local 

 tobaccoes suffers very greatly owing to this fault. The cost of the shed is 

 not a very large item, and where it is found necessary to economize, welb 

 built hark sides and roof will answer well. 'I'hatch sides and roof will also 

 make fair sheds, if made cIo.se and thick ; the chief objection to tliese is 

 the danger of fire. 



Iron roofs are objectionalile, unless very steep, or material is u.sed to 

 •catch the drip caused when frosts melt, the tobacco being injured by con- 

 tact with water even in such small quantities. Tobacco is not in the shed 



