TOBACCO BARNS AND SHEDS. 201 



on the sides, for holding 14 of the wired, or Snow sticks 

 (Fig. 48). The sticks are one inch square, with holes 

 six inches apart bored through the center. Through 

 these holes pointed wires, nine inches long, are put and 

 doubled over at right angles to the stick, making 12 

 points to the stick, upon which the leaves are strung 

 for curing. 



BARNS FOR CURING CIGAR LEAF TOBACCO. 



This operation, at the North, is somewhat different 

 from that in the heavy leaf sections of the South. Con- 

 siderable controversy has arisen, as to what is the best 

 pattern of a barn for cigar leaf, but the one first de- 

 scribed is the type in general use throughout the Con- 

 necticut valley and New York state, while it is but 

 slightly modified in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Wisconsin. 

 The location should be on slightly elevated ground, 

 well drained, convenient to the field, and sufficiently 

 removed from other buildings to allow a free circulation 

 of the air, from all directions. As a rule, the barn 

 should stand east and west, for it will thus have the ben- 

 efit of the drying and dampening winds, which, coming 

 from the south, will draw through the barn, with the 

 best effect. In this position, it will be less liable to be 

 blown over, for the strongest winds, or gales, come 

 from the west, and would, therefore, only strike the 

 end of the barn. This may vary, however, in different 

 localities. 



A barn 30 feet by 45 feet long, thrfle tiers high, 

 will hold an acre of heavy Havana seed cigar-leaf to- 

 bacco, or nearly an acre and a half of seedleaf. Three 

 tiers is now considered high enough, though the cost of 

 a like capacity is a little greater than in a four-tier 

 barn. The expense of hanging and taking down to- 

 bacco each year from the fourth tier would soon amount 

 to more than the extra expense of the building. More- 



