47 



color, without possessing any of the strength or quali- 

 ties of tobacco. 



" In very dry, hot weather, sun-burning" often takes 

 place before a large plant falls sufficiently to be handled 

 without breaking off the leaves; and for this reason the 

 cutting in such weather should always be made early in 

 the morning, and not proceed after ten o'clock. Some- 

 times it is done in the evening, when there is no pros- 

 pect of rain, by which the packing up may be accom- 

 plished earlier the next morning, and with less risk of 

 burning. As soon as the plants fall sufficiently to handle 

 without breaking off the leaves, they are hanchfuUed, as 

 we call it ; that is, they are picked up, and three, or 

 four, or five plants are laid together, with their tails 

 from the sun, and the stalks inclined and somewhat 

 elevated against the sides of some of the hills. 



" The pickers-up, after going through this ground, re- 

 turn and turn over each handful, that both sides of the 

 plants may receive the benefit of the sun, and not be 

 burnt; and this operation is again repeated, if by this 

 time the tobacco is not pliant enough to be put in shocks. 

 This is putting an indefinite number of handfuls togeth- 

 er, the stalks in an erect position, forming a sort of cir- 

 cle of any diameter, from two to six feet or more, at 

 convenient distances in the field ; and these shocks 

 should be immediately and effectually covered with 

 green bushes, or something else, previously in place, 

 for the purpose of excluding the rays of the sun. 



" The next operation (after the heat of the sun has 

 declined) is to remove the tobacco to the house or scaf- 

 fold, and hanging the plants on sticks four and a half 

 feet long, and about one inch square. The common pine 

 affords the best timber for this purpose, which will rive 

 straight and with ease. From ten to twelve plants, ac- 

 cording to size, may be hung on each stick, the width 

 of two fingers to be left between each plant. The scaf- 

 folds are raised four or five feet from the ground, and 

 the poles to receive the sticks are placed four feet apart, 

 and are made to range east and west, so that the sticks 

 will be north and south, to give both sides an equal 

 benefit from the sun. 



