364 TOBACCO LEAF. 



other end against the stomach, so as to have the use of 

 both hands. With one end of the string in the right 

 hand, have a boy to hand three leaves at a time. Grasp 

 these in the left hand and place them close to the stick, 

 then wrap the string from you around the leaves, one 

 half an inch from the ends of the stems, then turn the 

 leaves completely over and across the stick, thus form- 

 ing a draw twist (Fig. 107), which will never come off. 

 The next three leaves are thrown over on the other side 

 of the stick, and thus each trio of leaves is thrown 

 alternately on one side and the other. Nine or ten 

 bunches will fill half the stick (Fig. 108), and the string 

 is fastened by drawing it through a sloping cut in the 

 stick made from the person. The stick is then turned, 

 and the other end filled in like manner." Tobacco tied 

 with strings can be easily taken down and put in 

 "coops," or hung in a pit 'to order for stripping. 



It is claimed that this twist is covered by a valid 

 patent. This method has long been in use in the Con- 

 necticut valley, where the whole plant, instead of a bun- 

 dle of leaves, is tied upon the poles with string. Some 

 still persist in twisting the string between the plant and 

 the stick, but most growers long since gave up that twist 

 as wholly unnecessary. The quickest way is good 

 enough if the string is kept taut : Fix the string to a 

 nail or slit in the end of the pole, pass it around the 

 further side of the first plant, thence across to the next 

 plant or bundle, the same as shown in pictures, without 

 bothering with the twist at all. 



Mr. J. B. Smith, of Milton, N. C., a strong advo- 

 cate of the new method of housing tobacco by stripping 

 the leaves from the stalk, says that the most important 

 advantages of the new process over the old are : 



1. The planter can begin to house his crop from 

 two to four weeks earlier. 2. Everything is saved, 

 and there is no loss by "firing on the hill." 3. As the 



