THE PREPARATION OF FARM PRODUCTS. 2Q/ 



influence in the production of the high grades of flavor which 

 appear in some brands of tobacco. 



\Yhether or not bacteria play a part in the normal ripening, 

 it is certain that they sometimes do injury to the crop and 

 produce abnormal fermentation. The presence of too much 

 moisture on the leaves is likely to be followed by the growth 

 of various microorganisms. Molds are the most common in- 

 jurious organisms to appear under these conditions, but bac- 

 teria may also develop and produce disastrous effects. It does 

 not lie within our purpose to consider the various diseases of 

 tobacco in detail. The fact is that from the time the tobacco 

 is growing in the field, until it has reached its final state as a 

 completed product, it is subject to a considerable number of 

 diseases. It is a very delicate product and slight changes in 

 moisture or temperature are almost sure to be followed by 

 troubles of some kind, injuring or ruining the crop. Of these 

 troubles some are produced by molds or special fungi, and 

 some by bacteria. The consideration of these various troubles, 

 whether bacteria or of a different nature, concerns only the 

 person interested in raising tobacco and they are of no special 

 interest to the agriculturist in general. We shall not, there- 

 fore, further consider them in this work. 



FERMENTATION IN FOOD PRODUCTS. 



We notice next a few farm products whose manufacture in- 

 volves some type of fermentation for the purpose either of 

 preventing decay or of giving a special character to the prod- 

 uct. There are quite a number of these which are of more 

 or less significance in the handling of food products. 



We may first refer to one or two incidental products, which 

 have a somewhat limited use in different localities, so limited 

 that they cannot properly be regarded as agricultural products 

 in any general sense. It is the custom of agriculturists, and 

 indeed of other persons, to preserve some vegetable foods 

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