55 



error than that contained in tlie above extract. Tobac- 

 co thus housed, would be completely ruined long before 

 the five da^'s should have elapsed. If intended to be 

 cured without fire, the house sliould be as open as pos- 

 sible, for the free admission of air. The sticks on which 

 the tobacco is hung should be placed from eight to 

 twelve inches apart, according to the size of the tobac- 

 co, so that the air could circulate freely between the 

 ranges of sticks. It should be continued in this open 

 order until the tobacco is partially cured, \rhen it may 

 be rehung in much closer order, so as to make room for 

 the later cutting. If hung in open sheds, with tight 

 roofs, so much the better, so that the rain is prevented 

 from beating in on the tobacco, which may be done by 

 setting up fence rails or rough plank against the open 

 sides of the shed. 



" If intended to be cured by fire, the house should be 

 rendered as tight as possible, in all parts, except the 

 roof, through which the smoke must escape. But in- 

 stead of being crowded together, as recommended in 

 the extract given above, it should have space enough to 

 prevent the plants on the different sticks from pressing 

 hard against each other, after the tobacco has complete- 

 ly fallen. Instead of suffering the tobacco to hang four 

 or five days before fire is put under it, the house should 

 be filled as soon as possible, and fire put under it imme- 

 diately, to prevent the danger of house-burning. 



" For the first few days the fire should be moderate, 

 till the edges of the leaves turn of a yellow collor. The 

 fires should then be gradually raised and the house kept 

 sufficiently warm to cure the tobacco in a few days. In 

 making kite-foot tobacco, the rule is, I believe, that the 

 tobacco, stalk and all, must be cured in forty-eight hours 

 from the time the fires are raised, which, as I have al- 

 ready remarked, must be when the leaves begin to turn 

 yellow arcund their edges. 



" After thus commencing to change color the entire 

 leaf very soon assumes a beautiful yellow hue, and the 

 object is to cure it before it turns to a nutmeg brown. 

 If the curing is not very speedy, it will, or a great part 



