CULTURE OF CIGAR LEAF. 419 



safely housed and out of danger from frost and hail. 

 It certainly is a great temptation to cut before it has 

 been touched by hail, frost, rust, or any other disease. 

 It is true that tobacco affected by any of these things is 

 nearly worthless, but the same is also true of plants cut 

 too early. Such tobacco is almost sure to pole sweat 

 and then it is gone, anyway, and even if the leaf does 

 escape, it is thin and lacking in weight and is also liable 

 to white veins. A rule which was in force years ago, to 

 cut only such plants as were thoroughly ripe, hunting 

 them out for the purpose and leaving the unripe ones 

 to stand some days longer, is still a good one. This 

 is especially applicable to all plants grown in wet 

 spots, for these do not mature as early as those in dry 

 places. 



Some experienced growers maintain that there is a 

 certain date when tobacco is ripe, and that if allowed to 

 stand after this date it deteriorates in color and quality. 

 When tobacco, for lack of fertilizers, or for any other 

 reason, turns yellow, or fades, and the plant neither 

 ripens nor grows, the longer it stands the more it deteri- 

 orates in value and quality and shrinks in quantity, and 

 the sooner such fields are cut the better. No precise 

 rule can be given as to when tobacco is ripe. Some say 

 that seedleaf will ripen in from ten days to three weeks 

 after topping, and Havana in about three weeks, but, 

 generally, Havana should stand quite four weeks, though 

 it will, of course, depend on the weather and plants ; if 

 it is wet, tobacco won't ripen as quickly as when dry. 

 Some fertilizers will keep the plant fresh, green and 

 growing longer than others. Tobacco cut before fully 

 ripe may look nice before going tli rough the sweat, but 

 when it comes out, it is tender and will make but few 

 wrappers, to say nothing of the greater liability to pole 

 sweat. The green cut leaf may cure off darker, but it 

 is not so well filled out, is not so smooth and fine, and 



