430 TOBACCO LEAF. 



leaves are found with green, or "fat," stems; these 

 should not be included in the bundle, but laid one side 

 to dry out, for the excessive moisture would cause the 

 stem to rot and thereby injure the whole bundle. 

 Leaves having very light veins should also be excluded, 

 for these veins will turn white when the leaf passes 

 through the sweat, which greatly detracts from the value 

 of the leaf. 



After being bundled, the ''hands," as the bundles 

 are called, are laid together in a pile, not on the floor, 

 but raised from the ground a few inches by making a 

 rough platform of poles and boards. Commence by lay- 

 ing a row on one side of the platform with the butts 

 out, then on the other side in the same way, letting the 

 tips lap over slightly, just enough to keep the pile level. 

 Proceed in this way, laying on each side alternately, 

 until all is packed. Lay some boards on top of the pile, 

 and put on just weight enough to keep them snug. 

 Some covering should be put at the end of the pile to 

 keep it from drying out. The seconds and fillers are 

 each packed in a pile separate from the others. If it 

 remains long in the pile, it should be inspected occasion- 

 ally to see that it does not heat. If it has been packed 

 when too damp, it is quite apt to heat, especially if the 

 pile is large. When this is apparent, the pile should be 

 made over and the damp bundles shaken out to dry. 



Assorting. Most dealers prefer to have tobacco 

 delivered in the bundle, for they have their individual 

 methods of assorting and prefer to do it themselves so 

 their goodsmay all run alike ; when assorted by many 

 different farmers, there is much liability of variation. 

 Farmers who have a good reputation for assorting, how- 

 ever, not only assort their own crops, but are often 

 employed by packers to assort other crops in the section. 

 Assorting can be done during the stripping process, but 

 it is almost always done later and special work made of 



