53 



to have two wagons, so that one may be filled in the 

 field, while the other is hauling and discharging its load, 

 and returning. So, also, if there be hands enough, the 

 smaller ones may be heaping the tobacco, while others 

 are engaged in putting it on sticks, and conveying it to 

 the place of housing it. If the tobacco-house be so 

 constructed as to admit the wagons to pass through 

 the centre, additional facilities will be furnished for 

 transferring the tobacco to the place where it is to be 

 cured. 



" Tobacco plants may be split, during the heat of the 

 day, without injury. It is only liable to be sun-burned 

 after it is cut. And hence the splitting process may 

 progress, while part of the hands are engaged in hang- 

 ing that which was cut in the morning. When the 

 afternoon has so far progressed that tobacco may safely 

 be cut without the risk of sun-burning (which is usually 

 about four o'clock in August, and somewhat earlier in 

 September), the cutting process should commence, and 

 be completed as soon as possible, so as to give time for 

 the plants to fall sufficiently to be handled the same 

 evening, or the next day, before the sun has attained 

 sufficient power to injure them. The first cutting of the 

 afternoon, in the early part of the season, can usually 

 be hauled and hung the same evening. That part of it 

 which has not fallen sufficiently to be handled without 

 bruising or breaking, should be suffered to lie in the 

 field, without heaping, till the next day. 



" It is usual, when there is not time to hang all the 

 tobacco, during the same evening it is cut, to let a part 

 of it lie over till morning, to be hung while the dew is 

 drying off that in the field. This may be done to ad- 

 vantage if hauled on sleds, provided care be taken to 

 prevent it from heating during the night. If suffered 

 to lie in large heaps, it will be greatly injured in the 

 course of one night. To guard against this casualty, 

 it should be spread in long rows not more than three or 

 four plants deep, when the weather is very warm. In 

 cool weather the danger of heating is not so great. A 

 little experience will teach the tobacco-planter to guard 

 3 



