CUTTING TIME IN CUBA. 



for the conveniency of stowage, in a way similar to that in 

 which grain is conveyed in Spain, it would be found a con- 

 siderable saving of labor. It becomes necessary, in the next 

 place, to see that suitable ladders and stages are provided, 

 and that there be a sufficient quantity of tobacco sticks, such 

 as have been described to answer the full demand of the 

 tobacco house, whatsoever may be its size; time will be 

 otherwise lost in make-shifts, or sending for a second supply. 



" When everything is thus brought to a point at the tobacco 

 house, the next stage of the process is that termed hanging 

 the tobacco. This is done by hanging the plants in rows 

 upon the tobacco sticks with the points down, letting them 

 rest upon the stick by the stem of the lowest leaf, or by the 

 split which is made in the stem when that happens to be 

 divided. In this operation care must be taken to allow a 

 sufficient space between each of the successive plants for the 

 due circulation of air between : perhaps four or five inches 

 apart, in proportion to the bulk of the plant. When they 

 are thus threaded upon the sticks (either in the tobacco 

 houses, or, sometimes, suspended upon a temporary scaffold 

 near the door), they must be carefully handed up by means 

 of ladders and planks to answer as stages or platforms, first 

 to the upper tier or collar beams of the house, where the 

 sticks are to be pla,ced with their points refiting upon the 

 beams transversely, and the plants hanging down between 

 them. This process must be repeated tier after tier of the 

 beams, downwards, until the house is filled ; taking care to 

 hang the sticks as close to each other as the consideration of 

 admitting air will allow, and without crowding. In this 

 position the plants remain until they are in condition to be 

 taken down for the next process." 



In Cuba about the beginning of January the tobacco is 

 ready for cutting. If the harvest is good, all the leaves are 

 taken from the plants at once. Tobacco consisting of those 

 leaves is called Temprano, or " Early Pipe." If, on the con- 

 trary, the harvest is not good, the immature leaves are left 

 to grow. Tobacco formed of these leaves has the name of 

 Tardio, or "Late Pipe." In every respect, appearance 

 included, the Temprano is much superior to the Tardio. In 

 the purchase of tobacco, it is a principal thing to ascertain 

 how much or how little Temprano a parcel contains. More- 

 over, there are what may be called bastard leaves, which 

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