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Effective Farming 



the middle leaves turn light green. The plants are carefully 

 laid on the ground where they remain until the leaves have 

 wilted enough to avoid much breaking when handled. Each 

 plant is then hung on a four-foot lath by piercing it near the 

 base with a steel point attached to the end of the lath (Fig. 

 98). Usually six plants are placed on a lath and these are 

 hung on racks on the wagon and hauled to the curing barn. 

 They are hung in tiers with a space of six to twelve inches be- 

 tween the laths. When harvesting by the second method, the 



FIG. 98. Harvesting tobacco by cutting the stalk, showing method of 

 spearing the plant on the stick. 



leaves as they ripen are picked from the plants, five pickings 

 usually being made. The leaves are laid in the spaces between 

 the rows and later carried to the curing barn where they are 

 strung on cords attached to four-foot laths. These laths with 

 the plants are hung in the barn where the leaves cure. 



The method of curing varies with the type of tobacco. In 

 the air-cured method the barn is provided with ventilators 

 which are opened to secure ventilation and the tobacco is 

 then subjected to a slow air curing. In the fire-cured method 

 the tobacco in the barn is treated by artificial heat. 



